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UKIVERSITY  ELEMENTARY  SCHOOL 
BERKELEY.  CALIFORKIA 


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CALIFORSIA  STATIC  SERIES 

PRIMARY  READING 

AND 

LITERATURE 

A  MANUAL  FOR  TEACHERS 

TO  ACCOMPANY 

THE  PRIMER,  FIRST,  AND  SECOND  READERS 

OF  THE 

READING-LITERATURE   SERIES 


BY 

FREE  AND  TREADWELL 


APPROVED    BY 

THE  STATE  BOAED  OF  EDUCATION,  SACRAMENTO 
ROBERT  L.  TELFER 

SUPERINTENDENT,    STATE    PRINTING 


Copyright,  1916,  by 
The  People  of  the  State  of  California 


Copyright,  1916,  by 
Bow,  Peterson  &  Company 


I 


In  the  compilation  of  this  book  certain  matter  from 
the  Primary  Manual  of  the  Reading-Literature  Series 
by  Free  and  Treadwell  has  been  used.  All  such  mat- 
ter is  protected  by   the  copyright  entries  noted  above. 


EDUCATION  DEPT. 


INTRODUCTION 

The  "Reading-Literature  Readers"  by  Free  and  Tread- 
well,  were  not  designed  to  be  what  is  commonly  known  as 
"method  readers."  There  were  already  too  many  so- 
called  method  readers.  Most  of  them  have  been  arranged 
without  reference  to  child-interest  and  solely  to  the  end 
that  certain  methods  might  be  developed  and  used. 

The  "Free  and  Treadwell  Readers"  aim  first,  last,  and 
all  of  the  time  to  secure  and  hold  the  child's  interest. 
They  were  compiled,  in  the  schoolroom,  from  child  litera- 
ture that  has  held  the  interest  of  children  through  genera- 
tions that  are  gone  and  that  will  be  read  with  equal 
interest  by  millions  in  the  years  to  come. 

In  the  beginning  the  publishers  had  prepared  a  brief 
teachers'  manual  to  accompany  the  Primer.  Beyond  that 
it  was  then  thought  and  is  yet  believed  that  any  good 
lm'thod  may  be  successfully  used  with  these  books. 

Since  the  books  have  become  very  extensively  used  it 
has  been  found  that,  owing  to  widely  different  degrees  and 
kinds  of  preparation,  many  need,  or  think  they  need,  more 
help  than  was  provided  in  the  original  manual. 

The  book  aims  to  show  teachers  how  simple  and  natural 
are  the  essential  principles  of  teaching  young  children  to 
read;  to  outline  clearly  and  definitely  simple  methods  in 
harmony  with  the  most  approved  ideas  of  teaching  reading, 
yet  leaving  the  directions  so  flexible  that  teachers  may  be 
strengthened  by  their  helpful  guidance  rather  than  ham- 
pered and  weakened  by  an  artificial,  daily  routine ;  and  to 
enlarge  the  conception  of  the  significance  of  the  best  litera- 
ture in  the  early  years  of  the  child 's  life. 

3 


4  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

The  manual  aims  to  be  suggestive.  It  is  not  desired 
that  any  teacher  follow  it  slavishly;  rather  that  relatively 
inexperienced  teachers  shall  find  in  it  helpful  guidance. 
The  efficient,  progressive  teacher  is  always  larger  than  any 
method  that  another  can  prescribe.  Nor  is  it  the  purpose 
here  to  outline  a  new  and  startling  plan.  The  aim  is  rather 
to  gather  and  organize  the  experience  of  the  best  primary 
teachers  of  recent  years,  in  what  may  well  be  called  a 
* '  combination  method. ' ' 

The  methods  suggested  have  been  based  upon  and  made 
to  fit  the  content  of  the  readers — a  plan  in  direct  variance 
with  that  usually  followed,  in  which  the  content  of  the 
books  is  prepared  to  fit  a  preconceived,  artificial  method. 

The  book  is  offered  to  teachers,  who  use  and  will  use 
the  "Free  and  Treadwell  Headers, "  in  the  earnest  hope 
that  it  may  serve  to  make  the  day's  work  more  joyous; 
that,  through  its  organization  of  material,  it  may  lead  to 
a  solution  of  many  difficulties;  and,  finally,  that  it  may 
help  millions  of  little  learners  to  find  their  way  more  easily 
and  more  quickly  into  the  delightful  realms  of  book-land. 

The  basis  of  this  book  was  "First- Year  Reading,"  pre- 
pared by  Anna  Morse  of  the  Charleston,  Illinois,  Normal 
School.  Among  those  who  helped  in  the  enlargement  and 
remaking  of  the  book  are  Supt.  "W.  R.  Siders,  Pocatello, 
Idaho;  Miss  Mary  L.  Robinson,  Peoria,  Illinois;  Miss 
Martha  Olson,  Evanston,  Illinois,  and  Dr.  Harriett  Ely 
Fansler,  Columbia  University,  New  York. 

The  Publishers. 


GENERAL  PRINCIPLES 

Primary  reading,  as  is  true  of  all  reading,  is  for  the 
purpose  of  promoting  thought,  and  right  reading  habits 
are  laid  by  first  developing  an  interest  in  and  love  for 
reading.  Reading  is  not,  primarily,  word  study  or  word 
recognition.  Even  the  simplest  kind  of  reading  means 
getting  thought  and  feeling  from  written  or  printed  char- 
acters. Oral  reading  is  a  still  more  complex  process, 
involving,  not  only  getting  ideas,  but  all  that  goes  to  make 
oral  expression  of  the  thought  and  feeling.  Children  are 
led  by  desire  and  interest  to  get  the  thought,  and  the  in- 
terest is  sustained  through  their  love  for  stories.  The  most 
important  factor  in  teaching  a  child  reading  is  to  develop 
and  foster  his  desire  to  read.  The  only  means  of  ensur- 
ing these  conditions  is  to  provide  reading  matter  that 
all  children  enjoy. 

The  process  herein  suggested  consists  in  the  following 
distinct  steps :  The  telling  of  the  story  so  that  each  child 
has  the  thread  of  interest;  the  reproduction  of  the  story 
by  the  pupils  dramatizing  it,  or  one  or  more  telling  it. 
The  presentation  of  the  sentence,  as  it  appears  in  the 
Primer  story;  teaching  the  individual  words  of  these  sen- 
tences, from  the  sentence,  as  sight  words;  a  phonic  drill 
to  be  given  daily  after  the  reading  of  the  first  Primer 
story.  The  first  work  on  phonics  will  consist  in  the  drills 
on  consonant  values  in  words  known  to  the  child.  Later, 
these  consonant  elements  will  be  used  in  blending  with 
phonograms  to  form  words.  Ultimately,  the  drill  will  be 
in  the  phonic  analysis  of  the  new  words  as  they  appear. 

5 


6  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

SIGHT  WORDS 
Every  teacher  knows  that  once  the  child  has  made  a 
beginning,  he  will  recognize  many  words  at  sight,  from  the 
context.  But,  relying  upon  sight-word  drill  alone  has 
never  resulted  in  independence  in  the  recognition  of  new 
words.  Therefore,  after  the  first  few  lessons  in  the  Primer, 
the  drill  in  phonics  should  begin  and  should  receive  con- 
stant, systematic,  daily  attention  until  the  children  are 
able  to  sound  out  most  new  words  for  themselves. 

PHONICS 

It  is  not  the  purpose  here  to  set  forth  a  ''scientific  sys- 
tem" of  phonics.  It  is  not  believed  desirable  that  children 
in  these  early  grades  have  even  a  "complete  system"  of 
phonics.  It  is  the  aim  to  give,  in  this  manual,  only  such 
work  as  experience  has  shown  necessary  to  train  children 
into  independent  power  over  words  in  their  reading  vo- 
cabulary. 

There  have  been  complete  and  scientific  systems  used 
for  drill  in  the  past.  There  are  such  systems  yet  in  use  in 
some  sections  of  the  country.  But  these  systems  have 
proved  generally  unsatisfactory.  Their  failure  may  be 
very  clearly  traced  to  the  fact  that  they  are  too  complex 
and  elaborate. 

While  it  is  true  that  the  child  needs  to  know  the  vowel 
values  only  as  he  may  find  them  in  combinations,  he 
must  know  all  of  the  consonant  values.  These  should  be 
taught  from  words  which  the  child  knows  at  sight.  True, 
some  of  the  consonants  have  more  than  one  value  but  if 
those  which  occur  most  frequently  in  his  reading  are  first 
taught,  he  will  get  the  others  in  much  the  same  way  that 
he  gains  a  knowledge  of  the  vowel  values — from  letter 
combinations  and  from  context. 

Most  of  the  consonants  have  only  a  single  value.    These 


DISCUSSION   OF   PLAN  7 

are  b,  d,  f,  h,  j,  k,  I,  m,  n,  p,  qu,  r,  t,  w,  y.  Wh  as  in 
wheat  or  as  in  cry,  sk  as  in  sky,  gr  as  in  ground,  c  (hard), 
g  (hard)  and  s  (sharp)  are  other  values  that  the  child 
will  need  for  drill  in  the  use  of  the  "  Reading-Literature 
Primer." 

DIACRITICAL  MARKS 

Diacritical  marks  are  used,  in  the  main,  to  show  vowel 
values.  If  the  varying  sounds  of  the  vowrels  are  to  be 
taught,  in  the  abstract,  these  marks  or  some  similar  aid  will 
be  necessary.  But  it  is  not  necessary  that  the  vowel  values 
should  be  so  taught.  Indeed,  it  is  not  even  desirable.  It  is 
much  better  to  teach  these  values  in  combination  with  final 
consonants  and  in  phonograms.  In  most  cases,  the  conso- 
nant or  the  combination  of  letters  immediately  following 
the  vowel  will  control  the  value  of  that  vowel.  It  is  better 
to  ignore  the  use  of  these  marks  until  about  the  fourth 
grade,  when  the  dictionary  is  brought  into  use.  Then 
pupils  may  gain  a  working  knowledge  of  them  in  a  very 
few  days. 

NON-PHONIC  WORDS 

It  may  be  suggested  that  these  drills  will  not  give  power 
over  non-phonic  words;  but  if  the  child  receives  regular 
and  thorough  training  in  the  essentials  of  phonics,  he 
can  easily  be  led  to  use  his  knowledge,  with  increasing 
power,  in  mastering  all  new  words.  However,  there  is 
no  good  reason  why  sueh  words  as  will  not  readily  answer 
to  his  knowledge  of  phonics  may  not  be  taught  as  sight 
words. 

A  good  way  to  learn  to  recognize  new  non-phonic  words 
is  to  cover  or  omit  the  new  word,  reading  the  rest  of  the 
sentence,  then  judge  what  wrord  will  fit  the  context.  This 
plan  is  strongly  recommended  because  it  trains  in  reading 
ideas. 

In  teaching  words  at  sight,  the  teacher  will  devise  many 


8  PEIMAKY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

ways  of  securing  repetition.  The  aim  is  to  get  interest- 
ing presentations.  One  good  way  is  to  write  the  word  sev- 
eral times  in  easy  sentences,  or  alone,  with  colored  crayons, 
etc.  Of  course,  this  is  drill,  and  drill  may  become  a 
mechanical  grind.  But  drill  is  necessary,  and  the  teacher 
must  exercise  her  ingenuity  to  secure  variety,  so  that  the 
work  is  done  in  a  snappy  way.  With  an  indolent  and 
inefficient  teacher,  any  kind  of  drill  is  likely  to  become 
monotonous. 

Teach  new  words  by  relating  the  work  to  new  steps  in 
the  story. 

Words  that  have  little  individual  meaning — as  conjunc- 
tions, some  adjectives,  prepositions,  etc.,  should  be  dropped 
into  the  thought  by  making  use  of  them. 

EXPRESSION 

There  can  be  no  reading  without  the  right  sort  of 
expression.  Children,  before  entering  school,  have  learned 
to  express  themselves  in  words  almost  entirely  by  imi- 
tating those  with  whom  they  have  been  most  closely  asso- 
ciated. They  are  likely  to  imitate  even  the  tone  and 
inflection  of  those  for  whom  they  have  the  greatest  affec- 
tion. This  leads,  many  times,  to  faulty  use  of  words, 
wrong  pronunciation  and  peculiar  expression,  all  of  which 
the  teacher  must  gradually  and  patiently  correct. 

Reading  is  getting  and  expressing  thought  and  feeling. 
The  effort  of  the  teacher,  therefore,  must  be  to  lead  the 
child  to  get  thought  and  feeling,  and  then  good  expression 
will  usually  come  naturally. 

The  following  principles  are  essential  in  the  teaching 
of  Primary  reading,  and  the  Primary  teacher  should  study 
what  here  follows  until  she  knows  the  ideas  as  well  as 
she  knows  the  multiplication  table. 

1.  The  child  should  learn  to  read  as  naturally  as  he 


DISCUSSION   OF  PLAN  9 

learns  to  talk  and  for  exactly  the  same  reason — a  desire 
to  find  out  something,  or  a  desire  to  tell  something. 

Poor  expression  is  the  result  of  imperfect  comprehen- 
sion of  the  thought.  There  must  be  preparation  on  the 
thought  before  trying  to  read.  The  children  must  be 
taught  to  look  ahead  and  catch  the  thought  of  the  whole 
combination  of  words.  Until  this  is  possible,  the  exercise 
is  only  one  in  word-calling — not  reading.  If  the  child  is 
free,  unrestrained,  he  can  express  his  ideas  and  feeling  as 
well  as  anyone. 

2.  Assigning  to  different  children  parts  of  stories,  dia- 
logues, or  poems  is  an  aid  in  securing  right  expression. 
Occasionally  the  teacher  may  read  one  part  of  a  story  or 
dialogue  while  children  take  the  other  parts. 

3.  Children  may  be  allowed,  or  asked,  to  read  to  the 
entire  school.  The  reader  stands  before  the  school,  while 
all  give  attention.  He  must  read  with  expression  in  order 
that  he  may  be  understood,  because  the  other  children 
have  no  books  open  before  them.  At  first,  only  the  best 
readers  should  be  allowed  to  read  to  the  school,  but  the 
privilege  should  gradually  be  extended  to  every  member 
of  the  school. 

4.  If  any  child  expresses  the  notion  that  the  reading 
may  be  improved,  in  whole  or  in  part,  allow  him  to  read 
the  story  or  that  part  of  it  in  question. 

5.  Dramatization  is  one  of  the  best  means  for  securing 
the  right  expression,  even  in  middle  grades.  The  stories 
of  the  "Free  and  Treadwell  Readers"  are  especially  suit- 
able for  dramatization  by  the  children  themselves.  Dif- 
ferent pupils  may  be  required  to  take  different  parts  in 
playing  these  stories  and  these  plays,  at  different  times, 
should  include  all  of  the  members  of  the  class,  the  slowest 
as  well  as  the  brightest. 

6.  Do  not   tolerate  an  unnatural  tone  or  an  affected 


10  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

manner.  Insist  on  the  children's  "telling"  their  stories, 
not  to  the  blackboard,  nor  to  the  books,  but  to  the  teacher, 
to  some  particular  pupil,  or  to  the  entire  group. 

7.  It  is  a  mistake  to  keep  a  class  too  long  on  one  lesson. 
It  is  better  to  go  back  to  it  after  a  time  than  to  read  that 
in  which  the  pupil  has  lost  interest. 

8.  Do  not  permit  sing-song  reading,  drawling,  shouting, 
or  mumbling.  Tone  down  high  pitched,  shrill  voices  to  a 
natural  tone. 

9.  The  voice  should  receive  attention  from  the  first 
and  all  proper  effort  should  be  made  to  help  the  child  to 
control  and  improve  it  for  expressing  thought  in  his  own 
or  the  author's  words.  Drills  for  enunciation  and  articu- 
lation will  be  needed  in  every  grade. 

10.  The  teacher  may  read  to  the  school.  Sometimes,  the 
story  period  is  fixed  immediately  to  follow  the  opening  of 
the  school  sessions  and,  because  of  the  children 's  interest,  it 
becomes  a  strong,  wholesome  incentive  to  punctuality. 

HELPFUL  MATERIALS 

Certain  materials  for  the  use  of  the  teacher  and  the 
pupils  will  be  found  very  helpful  when  properly  used. 
The  publishers  of  reading  books  quite  often  furnish  these 
helps  at  a  nominal  price;  but  the  teacher,  if  she  will,  can 
easily  make  for  herself  all  of  these  and  others  that 
her  experience  will  suggest.  A  description  of  these  devices 
follows : 

Percepticm,  Cards,  A  set  may  consist  of,  say,  one  hun- 
dred cards,  each  card  containing  one  of  the  words  taught 
in  the  primer.  The  cards  may  be  used  in  teaching  the  new 
words  of  a  story,  in  word  drills  and  in  testing  quick 
recognition  of  words  already  taught.  In  using  the  cards 
for  quick  recognition,  the  teacher  will  stand  before  the 
class  with  the  cards  in  her  hands.     These  she  will  dis- 


DISCUSSION   OF   PLAN 


11 


play,  one  at  a  time,  for  quick  recognition.  At  first,  this 
work  should  be  done  somewhat  slowly,  so  that  all  children 
may  have  a  part  in  the  word  recognition,  but  later,  the 
drill  should  be  rapid.  In  the  beginning,  but  two  or  three 
of  the  cards  will  be  used,  but  others  will  be  added  to  the 
pack  as  the  vocabulary  increases. 

These  cards  are  4  by  6  inches  in 
size  and  they  may  be  made  by  any 
teacher.  This  diagram  shows  the 
plan. 

Pupil's  Word  Cards.  These  may  consist  of  a  set  of  ten 
cards,  each  containing  seventy  words.  These  are  the  words 
of  the  primer  and  every  word  is  repeated  several  times. 
The  words  are  printed  between  lines  so  that  they  may  be 
cut  out  along  the  lines,  in  uniform  size.  Thus  every 
child  may  have  all  of  the  words  of  the  primer  repeated 
several  times.  They  may  be  kept  in  envelopes  or  in  small 
boxes,  and  are  to  be  used  by  pupils  in  their  seats  in 
sentence  building. 

In  the  beginning,  this  sentence  building  will  consist 
■imply  of  following  or  copying  sentences  with  the  Primer 
open  before  the  pupil.  Later,  sentences  may  be  built  from 
dictation. 

Any  teacher  who  has  access  to  a  typewriter  can  make 
these   cards. 


hen 

Pig 

bread 
cut 

cat 

dog 
grind 

seed 

wheat 

found 

plant 

thresh 

make 

eat 

Phonic  Cards.  These  may  be  a  set  of  20  cards,  4x6  inches 
in  size,  for  the  use  of  the  teacher  in  drilling  on  the  con- 
sonant elements.     They  are  printed   on  both  sides.     On 


12  PRIMARY  BEADING  AND  LITERATURE 

one  side  is  the  word  containing  the  consonant,  slightly 
separated  from  the  phonogram.  Just  below  is  the  con- 
sonant alone.  On  the  reverse  side  of  the  card,  the  con- 
sonant is  printed  in  both  capital  and  lower  case  forms. 
The  appearance  of  one  of  these  cards  is  here  shown. 


The  child  knows  the  word  "red"  at  sight.  The  teacher 
may  first  write  or  print  the  word  on  the  blackboard,  with 
the  consonant  slightly  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  word. 
If  the  child  does  not,  at  first,  readily  recognize  the  word, 
a  line  may  be  made  to  connect  its  parts.  When  it  is 
recognized,  the  line  should  be  removed  and  the  children 
led  to  say  the  parts  of  the  word  as  they  appear  upon  the 
blackboard.  After  a  few  such  drills  from  the  blackboard, 
with  the  first  few  words,  the  cards  alone  will  suffice.  The 
subsequent  drill  from  the  cards  will  be  on  the  consonants 
alone,  as  they  appear  on  the  reverse  side.  In  this  drill, 
if  the  child  does  not  readily  recognize  the  consonant,  the 
teacher  may  turn  the  card  over  and  require  him  to  work 
out  the  consonant  from  the  word,  as  in  the  beginning. 
Drill  on  consonant  elements  should  be  daily  and  contin- 
uous until  children  are  thoroughly  familiar  with  them. 

WORKING  PLANS 

The  stories  used  in  these  readers  are  worth  lingering 
over  and  rereading,  and  the  pupils  should  not  be  hurried 
through  the  books.  The  repetition,  if  at  all  lively  and 
wide  awake  on  the  part  of  the  teacher,  is  attractive  to 
the  child. 


DISCUSSION   OF  PLAN  13 

The  stories  are  suitable  as  a  real  basis  for  many  kinds 
of  lessons,  and  this  manual  directs  attention  to  the  fol- 
lowing : 

Language 

1.  Hearing  and  telling  the  stories. 

2.  Playing  or  dramatizing  the  situations  when  possible. 

3.  Memorizing  stories  and  poems  wholly  or  in  part. 

Reading 

1.  Blackboard  sentences  based  on  the  stories. 

2.  Blackboard  sentences  based  on  dramatization. 

3.  The  use  of  the  book  itself. 

4.  The  use  of  mimeographed  or  printed  words  and  sen- 
tences chosen  from  the  vocabulary  in  the  book. 

5.  The  use  of  phonics  all  the  time. 

Drawing 

1.  Illustrative — original  drawings  representing  incidents. 

2.  Formal — tracing  pictures,  coloring  outlines  prepared 

by  the  teacher.         _  _ 

J  Clay  and  Sand  Work 

1.  Modeling  simple  figures  mentioned  in  the  stories. 

2.  Staging  the  actors  on  the  sand-table. 

Nature  Lessons 
About  animals  and  plants  mentioned. 

Room  Decoration 
Use  of  pictures  and  cuttings  relating  to  the  literature. 

PURPOSES 
The  varied  lessons  to  which  this  manual  directs  attention 
have  a  twofold  purpose : 

Firsts  to  add  to  the  child's  general  culture. 
Second,  to  enrich  the  process  of  learning  to  read.    Since 
reading  involves  more  that  is  new  and  difficult  to  a  child 
than  anything  else   in  the  first  year  of  school,   most  of 
this  part  of  the  manual  is  devoted  to  that  subject. 


GENERAL  SUGGESTIONS  FOR  BEGINNING 

I.  Telling  the  Story.  Teacher  should  know  the  original 
story  and  adapt  it,  keeping  the  Primer  story  in  mind  as 
a  guide  when  she  prepares  her  story. 

II.  Conversation  about  the  Story.  Free  expression  on 
the  part  of  pupils  and  teacher  gives  an  insight  into  the 
understanding  of  the  story,  a  chance  to  correct  mistaken 
notions,  and  helps  pupils  to  gain  information  which  they 
need  to  make  a  unified  whole  of  the  story. 

III.  Dramatization  of  the  Story.  This  should  be  begun 
early  in  the  development  of  the  new  story.  It  aids  the 
pupils  in  getting  the  setting  of  the  story,  vitalizes  the 
thought,  gives  opportunity  for  self-activity  and  self- 
expression.  The  child  lives  the  thought  through  its  dram- 
atization, and  later,  when  he  reads  it  his  expression  will 
likely  be  better  because  of  this  experience. 

Too  much  emphasis  cannot  be  placed  upon  the  manner 
of  dramatization.  The  inexperienced  teacher  often  errs 
in  giving  too  much  direction  for  it.  Bear  in  mind  these 
facts;  tell  your  story  clearly,  picture  vividly  the  images 
you  wish  the  pupils  to  get,  question  in  such  sequence  as 
to  secure  continuity  of  thought  in  the  reproduction,  and, 
when  you  feel  that  the  children  have  the  story  well  in 
mind,  parts  in  proper  relation,  say,  "Would  you  like  to 
make  up  a  game  about  the  Little  Red  Hen,  and  see  if  we 
can  play  it?" 

Assign  the  various  parts  and  allow  pupils  freedom  in 
arranging  the  stage.  If  the  teacher  remembers  only  to 
direct  and  allow  the  pupils  to  do  the  acting,  her  dramati- 
zation will  be  a  joy  and  a  source  of  excellent  results  by 
way  of  laying  a  foundation  for  individual  expression. 

14 


GENERAL  SUGGESTIONS  FOR  BEGINNING  15 

IV.  Reference  to  Sentence.  The  teacher  should  write 
on  the  blackboard  the  sentence  as  given  in  the  book.  She 
should  then  read  it,  sliding  the  pointer  under  it  as  she 
reads.  A  number  of  children  should  then  each  read  it, 
again  sliding  the  pointer  under  the  sentence.  This  will 
tend  to  the  establishment  of  smooth  reading. 

V.  Locating  of  Word  in  the  Sentence.  Find  the  word 
"hen,"  or  find  the  sentence,  The  little  red  ken  found  a 
seed.  The  pupil  slides  the  pointer  under  the  sentence,  say- 
ing it  as  a  whole,  not  as  unrelated  words.  Then  the  teacher 
says,  "Which  word  is  hen?"  Until  his  knowledge  of 
phonics  can  guide  him,  the  pupil  may  read  silently  to  find 
the  word. 

VI.  Use  of  Print  and  Script.  Unless  she  can  letter 
well,  the  teacher  should  not  use  the  print  forms  on  the 
board;  it  is  simply  an  added  difficulty  to  the  pupils.  If 
the  teacher  uses  the  script  on  the  board  pupils  can  take 
perception  cards  to  the  blackboard  and  match  with  script 
there. 

VII.  Re-arrangement  of  Words  into  unfamiliar  Sen 
tences.     These    sentences    should    be    written    upon    the 
board.     They  should  not  be  contradictory  to  the  facts  of 
the  story  in  the  book. 

A' I II.  Silent  Reading.  The  best  materials  for  this  are 
sentences  giving  directions  to  be  read  silently  and  acted 
out  by  the  pupils,  as  in  the  Little  Red  Hen — 

You  may  he  the  hen,  Mary. 

You  may  he  the  cat,  Fred. 

John  may  he  the  dog. 

Or  in  The  Boy  and  the  Goats — 

Play  you  are  the  hoy,  Jack. 
You  may  he  the  goat,  Albert. 
You  may  he  the  squirrel,  Grace. 


16  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

IX.  Oral  Reading:.  Pupils  should  not  be  asked  to 
express  themselves  orally  until  they  have  looked  the  sen- 
tence through  and  are  sure  of  the  thought.  Then,  looking 
from  the  book,  they  should  tell  the  teacher  or  the  class- 
mates what  they  have  prepared. 

X.  Pupils  tell  the  Story.  After  the  pupils  have  read 
the  story  for  themselves,  two,  three,  four,  even  more,  if  the 
interest  be  sustained,  should  be  allowed  to  tell  it  to  the  class, 
to  a  visitor,  or  to  another  class  in  the  building. 

XI.  Enunciation,  First  of  all  the  teacher  should  set 
a  good  example  in  clear  enunciation.  Hold  pupils  respon- 
sible for  making  the  classmates  understand  what  is  said. 
The  teacher  should  keep  at  a  distance  from  the  one  who  is 
reading. 

Making  a  list  of  words  which  pupils  do  not  enunciate 
properly  and  having  a  drill  separate  from  the  reading  les- 
son time  but  referring  to  this  list  when  a  mistake  is  made, 
is  invaluable.  Working  with  individuals  who  seem  to  be 
slow  to  hear  differences  in  sounds,  finding  out  the  cause  of 
the  difficulty,  may  be  time  well  spent. 

XII.  Phonics.  Phonic  drills  should  always  be  separate 
from  the  reading  period,  but  phonics  should  be  used  as 
soon  as  pupils  have  the  power  to  get  new  words  of  the  read- 
ing lesson.  A  drill  on  the  new  words  should  always  be 
given  previous  to  the  reading.  An  exhaustive  list  of  words 
in  a  family,  or  set  of  words,  containing  the  same  phono- 
gram, is  unnecessary.    Four  or  five  words  are  sufficient. 

Words  that  are  outside  the  child's  vocabulary  should 
not  occur  in  these  lists.  Meaningless  combinations  which 
are  neither  words  nor  phonograms  should  not  be  used 
merely  for  the  sake  of  phonic  gymnastics. 

XIII.  Time  and  Number  of  Reading  Lessons.  Children 
should  have  two  or  three  short  reading  lessons  daily  and 
two  or  three  drills  in  phonics  of  two  to  five  minutes  each. 


GENERAL  SUGGESTIONS  FOR  BEGINNING  JJ 

These  periods  should  be  full  of  vivacity  and  enthusiasm. 
Short  lessons  are  better  than  long  ones,  for  little  children 
are  likely  to  become  fatigued  if  kept  long  at  one  task. 
The  time  devoted  to  reading  the  lesson  as  well  as  to 
phonic  drills  may  be  extended  as  children  grow  in  power 
of  sustained  attention. 

XIV.  Devices.  1.  Use  the  Perception  cards  furnished 
with  the  Readers  for  the  purpose  of  drilling  upon  the 
words. 

2.  Use  as  sentence  builders,  cards  containing  the  words 
written  or  printed  on  them.  Let  these  be  put  together 
so  as  to  form  the  easy  sentences  of  the  chart  or  board 
lessons. 

3.  Assign  expression  work  to  occupy  the  pupils  at  their 
seats.  This  must  be  some  profitable  employment.  Play- 
ing with  sticks,  marking  with  a  pencil,  or  doing  anything 
else  with  no  definite  aim  in  view,  should  not  be  permitted. 
The  work  should  be  copying,  illustrating  by  drawing,  or 
painting,  card  work,  paper  folding,  making  objects  de- 
scribed in  the  reading  lessons,  etc. 

4.  If  desired,  a  chart  for  the  reading  work  can  be  made 
from  manila  paper  of  postal-card  weight.  Use  black 
''Standard  Checking"  crayon,  number  thirty-one,  making 
letters  that  can  be  seen  across  the  room.  Teachers  are 
advised  to  depend  upon  the  board  and  methods  suggested 
heretofore  rather  than  upon  the  chart. 

5.  Fasten  to  the  top  of  the  blackboard  a  common  window 
shade  with  a  spring  roller.  This  is  to  be  used  to  cover 
lessons  written  on  the  board  for  sight  reading. 

6.  Use  colored  crayons  on  the  blackboard  to  emphasize 
certain  words  or  ideas. 

7.  Use  the  sign  printer  to  print  the  sentences  on  long 
strips  of  manila  cardboard. 


SPECIFIC  SUGGESTIONS  AND  DIRECTIONS 

The  more  detailed  suggestions  regarding  method  in 
beginning  reading  are  arranged  in  four  sections: 

USE   OF  BOOK  FROM  THE  FIRST 

Section  I  aims  to  give  specific  directions  for  those 
teachers  who  desire  to  place  the  book  in  the  hands  of  the 
pupils  within  the  first  week.  This  was  the  intention  of 
the  authors  of  the  Primer.  So  far  as  is  known  the  plan 
has  proved  satisfactory  wherever  tried.  The  delight  the 
little  folk  feel  when  they  realize  they  can  read  a  story 
from  the  book  is  beyond  description. 

AN    ALTERNATE    PLAN 

Section  II  is  simply  an  alternate  plan  for  the  guidance 
of  those  teachers  who  prefer  to  postpone  having  the  chil- 
dren read  from  the  book  for  about  three  weeks.  There 
is  no  serious  objection  to  this  plan.  For  some  teachers, 
with  certain  types  of  children,  it  may  be  the  better  plan. 
It  is,  however,  likely  to  involve  a  large  amount  of  unneces- 
sary work,  that  is  distinctly  less  interesting  than  that 
involved  in  the  plan  outlined  in  Section  I. 

SUPPLEMENTARY    READING 

Section  III  presents  suggestions  regarding  the  selec- 
tion and  use  of  supplementary  reading. 

THE    COURSE    IN    PHONICS 

Section  IV  is  designed  to  give  all  the  help  any  teacher 
needs  for  systematic  and  thorough  teaching  of  all  the 
essentials  of  phonics. 

18 


SECTION   I 

PUPILS  USE  THE  PRIMER  FROM  THE  FIRST 

THE  LITTLE  RED  HEN 

The  teacher  tells  the  children  the  story,  as  a  whole.  She 
uses  good  English,  vivid  description,  simple  natural  dia- 
logue, but  does  not  confine  herself  to  the  text  of  the 
"Primer."  She  lets  the  children  talk  about  the  story, 
draw  pictures,  and  dramatize  the  incidents  told.  This 
precedes  the  reading  lesson  which  comes  at  a  later  time 
during  the  day. 

First  Reading  Lesson 

The  teacher  recalls  the  story  by  means  of  a  question  or 
two.  and  writes,  as  plain  as  print,  The  Little  Bed  Hen, 
upon  the  board.  She  tells  the  children  the  whole  group 
of  words,  not  trying  to  separate  it  in  their  minds  into 
words,  nor  to  drill  upon  it  at  all — merely  to  let  the  children 
know  she  has  written  the  name  of  the  story.  Later,  when 
she  wishes  to  use  these  words  in  her  conversation,  she  takes 
care  to  point  to  the  whole  group  on  the  blackboard  as  she 
speaks  it.  She  opens  a  primer  before  the  pupils,  teaches 
them  how  to  hold  a  book  and  turn  the  leaves.  Then,  point- 
ing to  the  group  of  words  on  the  board,  she  says,  "111  show 
you  a  picture  of  the  litth  red  hen,"  and  turns  to  page  1. 
She  then  gives  a  book  to  each  pupil.  Each  is  to  keep  his 
book  closed  until  told  otherwise.  When  all  are  ready,  the 
teacher  points  again  to  the  board,  and  says,  "Find  a  pic- 
tuiv  of  flu  lit tl<  red  lun  on  the  outside  of  the  primer." 
When  all  have  done  as  directed,  she  suggests,  "Find  a  pic- 
ture of  this  inside  your  book,"  writing  instead  of  speaking 

19 


20  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

the  name,  The  Little  Red  Hen.  ''Find  the  very  first  pic- 
ture of  this, ' '  pointing  again  to  the  name.  ' '  Show  me  her 
name  on  the  page."  "What  does  it  say?"  The  name  of 
the  story  may  be  written  three  or  four  times,  in  different 
colors. 

This  may  be  followed  by  writing  on  the  board  the  name 
of  the  child  the  teacher  wishes  to  gather  and  put  away 
the  books.  Then  she  writes  the  word,  Rise,  if  she  wishes 
the  pupils  to  go  to  their  seats;  at  first  speaking  the  word 
each  time  she  refers  to  the  board,  later  pointing  to  the 
word  instead  of  speaking  it. 

Second  Lesson 

The  teacher  steps  to  the  board  and  writes,  The  Little 
Red  Hen.  "This  is  the  story  I'm  thinking  about,"  point- 
ing to  instead  of  speaking  the  name.  The  children  will 
probably  read  the  name  of  the  story.  If  they  do  not, 
the  teacher  may  show  the  tiniest  glimpse  of  the  picture  on 
page  1  in  the  "Primer."  The  teacher  commends  those 
who  know  the  story  she  had  in  mind  and  then  erases  the 
words.  "Now  I'm  thinking  about  this  story,"  she  says, 
as  if  she  meant  another  one,  and  writes  the  same  title  on 
the  board.  She  remembers  that  often  repeated  experiences 
are  necessary  to  impress  images  of  words  upon  the  minds 
of  little  children  learning  to  read.  Some  children  can 
tell  at  once.  But  for  others,  she  writes  again  in  another 
place  on  the  board,  The  Little  Red  Hen,  and  says,  "What 
does  this  make  you  think  of?"  She  gives  the  slower  ones 
a  chance  to  tell.  The  teacher  then  holds  up  a  strip  of 
paper  on  which  she  has  written,  The  little  red  hen  found 
a  seed.  "This  tells  what  she  found,"  she  says,  and  sev- 
eral children  read  it.  The  teacher  then  writes  the  same 
sentence  on  the  board.  "Can  you  read  this?"  she  asks. 
Some  child  probably  can  do  so,  but  not  every  one  in  the 


PUPILS  USE  PRIMER  FROM  FIRST  21 

class.  ''See  what  this  says" — and  she  writes  the  same 
sentence  under  the  first.  She  writes  this  same  thing  per- 
haps half  a  dozen  times  on  the  board,  in  such  a  way  that 
like  words  come  one  under  another — and  until  the  class  see 
the  likenesses.  Then,  when  all  are  expecting  the  same 
sentence  to  appear  once  more,  she  writes  a  different  one, 
"It  was  a  wheat  seed,"  and  looking  expectantly  toward 
the  class  asks,  "Who  can  read  this?"  Some  will  at  once 
respond,  ' '  The  little  red  hen  found  a  seed ! ' '  The  teacher 
leads  them  to  see  the  joke  she  played  on  them  when  they 
were  not  expecting  it.  "I  wrote  something  different  this 
time.  See  how  it  begins — not  at  all  like  The  little" — 
pointing  to  these  words  as  she  speaks  them.  "I  said  'It 
was  a  wheat  seed.'  You  see  the  last  part  is  just  the  same. 
That  is  the  word  seed.  Here  it  is  again  where  we  said 
'The  little  red  hen  found  a  seed/  Can  you  see  it  anywhere 
else  on  the  board?" 

Then  she  closes  the  lesson  by  asking  various  children  to 
erase  certain  sentences  from  the  board,  pupils  at  seats 
clapping  if  the  child  at  the  board  touches  and  erases  the 
correct  sentence. 

Third  Lesson 

Before  class  time  the  teacher  has  written  on  the  board, 

The  little  red  hen  found  a  seed. 

The  little  red  hen  found  a  seed. 

The  little  red  hen  found  a  seed. 

It  was  a  wheat  seed. 

It  was  a  wheat  seed. 

It  was  a  wheat  seed, 
seed  seed  seed  little  little 

found  found  found  a  seed 

The  arrangement  of  these  sentences  and  of  the  words 
for  drill  should  be  varied. 


22  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

"Find  some  words  that  look  alike  to  you,"  she  directs 
some  child.  She  shows  what  she  means  by  a  word,  by 
pointing  not  to  the  center  nor  to  the  beginning  of  the 
group  of  letters,  but  by  moving  the  pointer  under  the 
whole  word,  or  by  putting  her  two  hands  around  the  word. 

After  the  children  have  pointed  to  various  groups  of  sim- 
ilar words  (not  naming  them,  for  they  are  not  expected 
to  recognize  isolated  words  yet)  the  teacher  says,  "If  I 
should  tell  you  one  word,  you  could  know  whenever  I 
was  writing  about  that  thing.  Here  is  seed.  Where  else 
was  I  thinking  seed?  Here  is  all  I  said  that  time,"  point- 
ing to  the  sentence  written  first,  and  reading  aloud,  "The 
little  red  hen  found  a  seed."  "Did  you  hear  that  word 
seed  as  I  spoke  ?  It  was  the  last  one  I  said — and  the  last 
one  I  wrote.  Can  you  find  which  part  of  the  sentence  says 
redf  little?"     Carry  this  device  as  far  as  seems  advisable. 

Do  not  teach  the  words  the  and  a  as  isolated  words. 
Directions  like  this  should  be  given:  Find  "a  seed,"  or 
find  "The  little  red  hen."  Which  word  is  redf  Which 
is  hen?    Which  is  little? 

It  is  unnecessary  to  separate  a,  the,  and  an  from  the 
names,  for  these  words  recur  so  often  they  practically  teach 
themselves,  if  just  slipped  in  by  the  teacher  when  neces- 
sary, as  a  seed,  the  little  red  hen.  There  is  much  danger 
of  too  great  importance  and  stress  being  placed  upon  these 
words,  thereby  spoiling  the  expression  in  oral  reading. 

This  is  not  meant  for  a  drill,  and  the  teacher  must  not 
expect  pupils  to  remember  the  words.  It  is  merely  a  voy- 
age of  discovery  in  which  the  children  who  have  so  far 
thought  in  sentences  now  discover  that  a  sentence  can  be 
separated  into  words. 

The  class  is  dismissed  by  allowing  the  pupils  to  take 
turns  in  reading  a  sentence  as  the  teacher  erases  it  from 
the  board,  thus  saving  their  time  and  hers. 


PUPILS  USE  PRIMER  FROM  FIRST  23 

Fourth  Lesson 

Before  class  time  the  teacher  has  printed  on  strips  of 
manila  paper,  by  use  of  a  sign  printer,  or  in  some  other 
way,*  the  two  sentences  used  in  writing  the  day  before,  and 
also  the  separate  word  seed,  and  the  title,  "The  Little  Red 
II ■  r."  This  last  she  holds  up  and  asks  the  children  to 
find  in  the  book  where  it  says,  "The  Little  Red  Hen," 
pointing  to  her  printed  words  as  she  speaks.  " Point  to 
the  next  place  where  it  says, — "  and  she  does  not  speak 
the  phrase  as  she  holds  up  the  paper.  "I  see  a  little  seed, 
(holding  up  word)  in  the  picture.  This  is  the  name. 
You  may  touch  the  picture.  Find  the  word  seed  under 
your  picture.  It  looks  like  this  word,  only  smaller.  .  .  . 
Find  the  word  seed  in  another  place."  During  this  time 
the  teacher  moves  about  among  the  children,  showing  them 
several  words  like  hers. 

Holding  up  her  first  printed  slip  she  says,  "Find  in  your 
books  a  sentence  that  looks  like  this.  It  says,  'The  little 
red  hen  found  a  seed.'  Find  another  line  just  like  it.  .  .  . 
What  does  that  say?"  asks  the  teacher  of  several  children. 
Then  she  treats  the  other  lines  on  the  page  in  a  similar 
way.  As  a  summary  of  the  lesson,  she  stands  behind 
the  class,  where  she  can  see  as  many  individuals  as  pos- 
sible, and  reads  a  sentence  at  a  time,  seeing  that  they 
show  where  their  books  say  what  she  speaks. 

Fifth  Lesson,  Page  3 

1 '  Play  you  are  the  little  red  hen,  Anne, ' '  says  the  teacher, 
pointing,  as  she  speaks  them,  to  the  underlined  words  which 
she  has  written  on  the  board.  A  few  grains  of  wheat 
have  been  scattered  about  on  the  floor  before  the  class,  and 

*  For  this  and  other  like  purposes  the  publishers  supply  ' '  Percep- 
tion Cards.' ' 


24  PKIMAEY  BEADING  AND  LITERATURE 

Anne  hunts  about  and  finds  one,  saying,  "Who  will  plant 
the  seed  V9  "  What  did  she  find,  Isabel  ? ' '  asks  the  teacher. 
"  I  '11  write  it  here  on  the  board,  ' '  The  little  red  hen  found 
a  seed" — she  writes.  "Read  this  sentence,  Miriam — 
Russel— Ruth." 

"What  kind  of  seed  was  it,  Little  Red  Hen?"  she  asks, 
turning  to  Anne. 

"It  was  a  wheat  seed,"  the  child  answers.  "I'll  write 
that  on  the  board, ' '  says  the  teacher,  as  she  begins. 

"Read  this  sentence,   James — Russel — Helen." 

"Read  both  these  sentences,  Edwin." 

"What  did  'The  Little  Red  Hen'  say,  Katherine?"  asks 
the  teacher,  pointing  to  the  sentence  as  she  speaks  it.  Chil- 
dren answer,  and  teacher  writes,  ' '  The  little  red  hen  said, 
'Who  will  plant  the  seed?'  "  Different  children  read  and 
re-read  the  various  sentences  on  the  board,  and  when  the 
class  turns  to  go  to  their  seats,  each  child  points  to  some 
word  or  sentence  or  phrase  on  the  board  as  he  goes  by — 
the  teacher  giving  a  hint  as  she  gives  her  directions,  by 
saying,  "I  don't  know  what  word  you'll  choose  to  touch 
and  tell.  Perhaps  you'll  point  to  seed  (doing  so  herself 
as  she  speaks),  or  perhaps  you'll  choose  plant  (pointing  to 
the  word),  or  it  may  be  you'll  point  to  'The  little  red  hen' 
— you  see  I  don't  know.  You  are  to  decide."  Then  chil- 
dren in  turn  march  past  the  board  and  back  to  their  seats, 
touching  and  pronouncing  "their  words"  as  they  go. 

Sixth  Lesson,  Page  3 

The  teacher  has  prepared  by  the  use  of  a  sign  printer, 
or  with  a  supply  of  the  large  printed  words  furnished  by 
the  publishers  of  "The  Primer,"  the  printed  sentences 
used  on  page  3.  She  holds  up  the  first  and  asks  some  child 
to  read  it.     Possibly  he  cannot,  or  attempts  and  guesses 


PUPILS  USE  PRIMER  FROM  FIRST  25 

wrong.  The  teacher  reads  it  correctly,  saying,  perhaps, 
1  'Now,  next  time  you'll  know.  See  this  beginning  part — 
The — little — red — hen.  And  here  is  this  last  word  seed. 
Don't  forget.  What  does  this  say?"  Then,  laying  down 
the  printed  slip  with  the  others — and  seeming  to  pick  up 
another  she  asks,  "Read  what  this  says,  Alice/'  showing 
the  same  sentence.  This  device  is  often  used,  until  pupils 
recognize  likenesses  and  can  tell  every  time  when  the 
teacher  makes  this  kind  of  test.  After  using  all  the  sen- 
tences on  the  page  in  this  way,  with  large  printed  slips, 
the  teacher  asks  the  pupils  to  open  their  books  at  page  3 
and  read  the  same  sentences  from  the  book.  While  one 
child  reads,  the  others  show  where  it  says  the  same  thing 
in  their  books.  The  notion  that  there  is  value  in  having 
one  child  tell  the  others  a  sentence  whose  content  is  already 
perfectly  familiar — while  they  sit  with  closed  books  and 
assume  an  interest  they  do  not  feel — is  an  exploded  idea. 
It  is  only  the  form  on  page  3  that  is  new,  and  this  form 
must  appeal  to  the  eye,  not  the  ear;  therefore  the  children 
ought  to  be  using  their  eyes  while  they  are  listening  to 
one  child  read. 

Seventh  Lesson,  Preparing  for  Page  4 

The  teacher  stands  at  the  board  before  the  class  and 
says — writing  italicized  words  neatly  but  quickly  as  she 
speaks  them — "To-day  we  shall  plant  some  wheat  seeds  as 
the  little  hen  did — only  ours  must  be  in  these  little  boxes ' ' 
(one  for  each  child).  (See  suggestions  for  hand  work  on 
page  38.)  "Here  is  the  seed.  Who  will  plant  the  seed? 
Play  you  are  the  cat,  Anne.  Play  you  are  the  pig,  Kate. 
Play  you  are  the  dog,  Vera.  This  is  what  each  one  said 
wlun  the  hen  asked,  'Who  will  plant  the  seedV  .  .  .  'Not 
i;  'Not  1/  'Not  I.'" 

"Play  you  are  The  Little  Red  Hen,  Frances.     Ask  your 


26  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

friends  'Who  will  plant  the  seed?' if  Children  answer  as 
teacher  points,  or  point  and  answer — "Not  I."  "The 
little  red  hen  said,  'I  will,'  "  writes  the  teacher  as  Frances 
answers  her  friends.  ''You  may  plant  the  seed  in  your 
box,  Frances. ' '  Frances  plants  several  seeds.  Then  other 
children  play  they  are  the  different  animals  mentioned  and 
as  the  lesson  proceeds,  different  ones  point  to  their  names 
or  to  their  conversation  on  the  board  as  this  little  incident 
in  the  story  is  acted  and  re-acted,  and  various  "little  red 
hens"  plant  the  seeds  in  their  boxes.  If  time  is  short,  the 
teacher  may  say  the  parts  for  the  pig,  the  cat,  and  the 
dog,  writing  or  pointing  as  she  speaks,  while  all  who  are 
left  may  play  they  are  a  whole  flock  of  "little  red  hens' ' 
and  answer  all  at  once  as  they  plant  the  wheat. 

Eighth  Lesson,  Page  4 

Let  the  memory  of  the  story  help  the  children  enjoy  this 
page.  It  will  be  partly  guessing  and  partly  reading.  The 
teacher  must  lead  the  pupils  to  guess  correctly  at  this  stage 
of  reading.  You  may  rest  assured  that  the  work  in  phonics, 
if  well  taught,  will  do  away  with  any  need  for  guessing  a 
little  later  in  the  term. 

Each  child  opens  his  book  to  the  page.  "Let  us  tell  the 
story  from  the  picture  first.  Who  talked  first  1  .  .  .  What 
did  she  say?  ...  I'll  show  you  where  the  reading  on  the 
page  tells  that  very  thing!"  Then  she  turns  her  book  to 
show  the  pupils  the  very  thing  they  have  told  from  the 
picture. 

'  ■  Here  is  the  fellow  who  spoke  next, ' '  she  says,  pointing 
to  the  picture  of  the  pig.  ' '  What  did  he  say  ? ' '  She  may 
need  to  re-word  the  child's  answer  to  fit  the  wording  of 
the  next  sentence — "Yes,  the  pig  said,  'Not  I.'  .  .  .  Here 
is  where  the  book  tells  about  it, ' '  and  she  points  to  the  sen- 


PUPILS  USE  PRIMER  FROM  FIRST  27 

tence.  .  .  .  "Who  spoke  next?  Show  me  her  picture. 
What  did  she  say?  Here  it  tells  that  very  thing.  Let's 
all  say  it.  Show  me  where  it  is  in  your  book.  Now  read 
what  the  dog  said.  .  .  .  I'll  read  the  last  line  on  the  page." 
Then  the  teacher  goes  about  behind  the  different  mem- 
bers of  the  class  and  asks  them  to  show  her  where  it  says 
"Not  I,  Not  I,  Not  I,"  on  the  page.  She  directs  them 
to  find  the  same  thing  on  page  5,  saying,  "That  tells  the 
next  part  of  the  story  when  the  little  red  hen  asked  them 
to  do  some  other  work  for  her. 

Ninth  Lesson,  Review 

Children  use  books,  "reading"  page  1,  looking  at  the 
first  line  on  page  2,  and  then  telling  it.  The  teacher  may 
stop  here  and  ask  pupils  to  point  out  the  words  seed, 
Utile,  and  wheat,  using  perception  cards  to  show  the  words 
to  all  while  she  does  so. 

By  questioning,  lead  pupils  to  look  through  each  sen- 
tence on  the  page  and  then  read  it  aloud.  Then  without 
questions,  let  some  pupil  read  the  whole  page,  telling  him 
at  once  the  sentences  he  does  not  know.  Of  course,  just 
here,  pupils  can  sometimes  "read  the  story"  quite  as  well 
without  the  book,  but  that  does  not  matter.  The  point  is, 
can  he  show  where,  on  the  page,  the  familiar  thought 
stands?  Treat  the  next  two  pages  in  the  same  way,  and 
see  to  it  that  each  child  has  a  chance  to  read  aloud  in  the 
recitation  many  times,  occasionally  in  concert — but  usually 
alone. 

Tenth  Lesson,  Page  5 

Caution. — Do  not  hurry  to  drill  on  separate  words.  Do 
not  try  to  teach  these  lessons  as  you  yourself  were  taught 
to  read,  unless  you  are  sure  it  was  the  best  way. 

The  teacher  begins,  ' 4  Look  at  the  picture.     This  wheat  is 


28  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

taller  than  that  we  planted.  What  does  the  hen  want  the 
pig  to  do  now?  Books  are  laid  aside  and  attention  given 
to  blackboard  lesson  at  this  point." 

"Ill  tell  you  what  she  said" — (writing)  The  little  red 
hen — (stops  to  ask — "Who  is  this?")  said,  "Who  will  cut 
the  wheat?"     This  is  who  spoke  next. 

The  pig.  .  .  .   (Who  is  this?) 

The  cat.  .  .  . 

The  dog.  .  .  . 

"Tell  me  the  names  of  these  three  animals.  Point  to 
The  cat.  The  dog.  The  pig.  .  .  .  Shut  your  eyes  while  I 
write  something."  .  .  .  The  teacher  writes  these  groups 
of  words  in  different  places  on  the  board.  Then  the  chil- 
dren open  their  eyes  and  she  directs — ' '  Find  another  place 
where  I  wrote  The  cat.  Where  does  it  say  The  pig?" 
pointing  to  words  as  she  speaks,  so  that  pupils  have  some 
thing  by  which  to  test  their  search.  Their  own  mental 
images  of  the  words  may  be  too  confused  and  indistinct. 
The  teacher  will  save  time  if  she  finds  excuses  for  telling 
these  words  over  and  over  again  in  an  interesting  way, 
and  seeing  that  the  children  strengthen  and  deepen  the  cor- 
rect image  of  word,  phrase,  or  sentence.  If  she  expects  to 
tell  once,  and  then  test  memory  on  the  strength  of  that  one 
impression,  she  will  meet  disappointments,  and  will  lose 
the  confidence  of  her  pupils,  who  feel  she  has  led  them  into 
deep  water  and  left  them  helpless. 

To  Finish  the  FIrst  Story 

For  the  following  pages  of  the  story  let  the  pictures  help 
tell  the  new  thought — "Who  will  thresh  the  wheat?" 
"Who  will  grind  the  wheat?"  etc.,  and  let  a  varied  repe- 
tition in  script  and  print  gradually  make  the  child  sure  of 
these  and  the  other  often  repeated  sentences  from  page  1 
to  page  10. 


PUPILS  USE  PRIMER  FROM  FIRST  29 

If  a  child  does  not  recognize  familiar  words  in  new  posi- 
tions on  new  pages,  turn  to  review  pages  which  he  knows 
thoroughly  and  show  him  where  it  says  the  very  same  thing. 
Tell  him  only  so  much  as  is  really  necessary.  Let  him 
stretch  his  effort  to  the  utmost,  but  be  sure  he  succeeds  in 
the  end. 

When  the  children  can  read  a  story  well,  they  may  be 
allowed  to  take  their  books  home  to  read  to  Mother  and 
Father  or  to  other  children.  This  will  give  much  practice 
in  oral  reading  with  a  genuine  motive. 

The  same  order  of  work,  as  outlined  with  the  first  story 
may  be  followed,  in  a  general  way,  with  each  of  the  Primer 
stories.  After  pupils  have  a  sufficient  sight  vocabulary, 
the  teacher  should  not  tell  the  story.  Let  the  children  have 
the  pleasure  of  getting  its  thought  by  their  own  effort. 
The  general  order,  however,  should  be  as  follows: 

1.  Teacher  tells  the  story. 

2.  Reproduction  by  the  children. 

3.  Dramatization. 

4.  Reading  sentences  from  the  board  and  finally,  the 
story. 

5.  Drill  with  perception  cards  on  Primer  stories,  as 
they  are  taught:  This  drill  should  be  thorough,  that  it 
will  not  be  required  after  the  Primer  is  completed.  Mean- 
time, the  child's  growing  knowledge  of  phonics  should 
enable  him  to  master  most  new  words  as  they  appear  in 
the  lessons. 

6.  Drill  with*  phonic  cards.  This  work  should  begin 
with  the  second  story  and  these  cards  should  be  used  for 
drill  until  pupils  are  thoroughly  familiar  with  all  con- 
sonant elements. 

Preparation,  Page  15 
Let  the  first  presentation  here  be  from  the  blackboard. 
Italicized  words  are  written  on  board — others  spoken. 


30  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

"I'll  tell  you  more  about  The  Gingerbread  Boy.  The 
gingerbread  boy  met  a  cat. 

He  told  the  cat  who  he  was.     He  said — 

'I  am  a  gingerbread  boy. 

I  am.    I  am.    I  am.' 

Play  you  are  the  gingerbread  boy.  Tell  us  who  you 
are"  (pointing  to  sentence  while  child  repeats). 

"What  did  you  do?"     Writes  as  child  says — 

"1  ran  away. 

I  ran  away  from  the  little  old  woman. 

I  ran  away  from  the  little  old  man. 

I  ran  away.     I  ran  away.     I  ran  away." 

"This  is  what  he  told  the  cat" — (teacher  reads  as  she 
writes---) 

"I  can  run  away  from  you. 

I  can,    I  can,    I  can. 

"Find  where  it  says,  I  can. 

I  can  run  away  from  you." 

Teacher  reads  and  writes — 

"And  he  ran,  and  he  ran,  and  he  ran." 

She  then  goes  back  over  the  lesson  on  the  board,  hinting 
at  how  easy  it  will  seem,  now  that  they  know  what  is  there. 
She  questions  just  enough  to  keep  the  children  reading 
intelligently — not  holding  them  for  a  knowledge  of  many 
separate  words,  but  knowing  that  frequent  repetition,  if 
interesting,  will  do  the  work,  and  children  will  be  reading 
before  they  know  it. 

Further  Preparation,  Pages  15  and  16 

The  teacher  prints  the  sentences  with  a  sign  printer  on 
strips  of  paper  five  inches  wide  and  a  yard  or  more  long, 
uses  the  "Perception  Cards"  or  the  blackboard.  She  ques- 
tions carefully,  and  shows  a  sentence  suggested  by  the 
question  for  all  the  class  to  see.    After  it  is  read  by  several 


PUPILS  USE  PRIMER  FROM  FIRST  31 

it  is  put  aside,  to  be  picked  up  in  a  moment,  and  again 
shown  to  the  class,  while  the  image  is  fresh  in  their  minds. 
Again  and  again  the  same  sentence  is  shown — until  the 
children  know  it  promptly  at  sight. 

Then  the  book  is  opened  and  the  children  have  the  fun 
of  finding  themselves  able  to  "read  the  story." 

Similar  preparation  should  be  given  for  pages  17-24.  No 
page  in  the  book  should  be  attempted  until  there  has  been : 

1.  Careful  introduction  to  the  thought,  usually  with 
blackboard,  because  here  class  and  teacher  come  nearer  to 
each  other. 

2.  Enough  word-drill  so  that  the  recognition  of  sentences 
in  the  book  is  a  pleasureable  experience. 

3.  Enough  imagination  stimulated  through  the  pictures, 
the  dramatization,  the  dialogue,  to  keep  the  story  alive. 

While  the  children  are  reading  the  second  story,  teach 
consonant  elements  as  follows: 

r     in     r    ed  h     in     h     en  p     in     p    ig 

The  child  knows  these  words  at  sight.  When  red  is 
placed  on  the  board  as  r  ed,  he  may  not  recognize  it  ;  but 
if  a  line  be  made  to  connect  the  parts,  he  will,  in  most 
cases,  readily  say  the  word.  This  connecting  line  will 
not  be  needed  after  a  very  few  words  are  studied  in  1  his 
way. 


THE  OLD  WOMAN  AND  THE  PIG 

This  story  should  be  told  to  the  children  and  re-told  by 
them,  at  the  story  hour  or  language  period,  before  the 
lending  begins,  because  there  are  several  words  and  phrases 
not  in  the  speaking  vocabulary  of  the  ordinary  child. 
Drawing  pictures  and  playing  parts  of  the  story  add  inter- 


32  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

est  on  the  part  of  the  children,  and  give  the  teacher  greater 
opportunity  to  correct  wrong  images  the  child  may  have 
formed  through  hearing  the  spoken  words. 

When  this  has  been  done,  the  preparation  needed  on 
the  form  side  is  much  lessened.  The  preliminary  black- 
board work  may  now  be  shortened  to  merely  a  word-drill — 
as  in  the  lessons  previously  outlined.  A  list  of  words 
already  learned  should  be  kept  on  the  board  and  children 
should  be  drilled  on  this  list  as  well  as  with  the  perception 
cards. 

Devices  for  conducting  this  word-drill: 

The  teacher  tells  the  children  to  find  the  first  word. 

She  has  some  child  find  the  word  in  another  place. 

Tell  the  children  to  find  the  second  word. 

Then  ask  another  child  to  tell  all  the  words  he  knows 
from  the  board.  The  drill  may  be  thus  extended,  or  the 
teacher  may  give  occasional  concert  drills  as  follows : 

1.  She  touches  a  word  with  the  pointer,  and  waits  until 
all  see.  Children  keep  silent  but  alert.  As  soon  as  she 
removes  the  pointer,  all  speak  with  great  promptness.  Con- 
cert drills  thus  conducted  give  slower  members  of  the 
class  a  fair  chance,  and  promote  self-control  in  the  quicker 
members  who  want  to  tell  everything. 

2.  She  points  to  a  word  with  her  eraser.  All  look  and 
keep  silent.  When  the  eraser  moves  over  the  word,  all 
speak. 

When  the  children  are  ready  to  read  page  26,  the  teacher 
has  at  hand  the  list  of  words  printed  in  large  type  two 
inches  high,  and  just  before  the  children  read  each  sen- 
tence she  shows  for  a  second  one  or  two  of  the  key  words 
of  that  sentence — thus  giving  a  hint  of  what  it  is  to  tell 
them. 

At  the  end  of  the  lesson  the  teacher  should  give  short, 
quick   drills  on  these  words,   and  perhaps   lend  them  to 


PUPILS  USE  PRIMER  FROM  FIRST  33 

some  child  to  take  home  and  tell  his  mother.  "Be  sure  to 
tell  her  it  is  not  a  spelling  lesson!"  she  warns  him — for 
most  well-meaning  mothers  are  strong  on  teaching  spelling, 
before  it  is  wanted  or  needed. 

After  a  page  has  been  worked  out  sentence  by  sentence, 
it  should  not  be  dropped  and  forgotten.  It  should  be 
re-read  as  a  whole  by  several  children,  and  gone  back  to 
in  subsequent  lessons  to  be  read  "just  for  fun,"  and  "to 
make  it  sound  like  a  story." 

But  in  every  lesson  there  should  be  some  new  work; 
either  words  and  thoughts  not  given  before,  or  so  differ- 
ently arranged  that  they  seem  new  to  the  children.  It  is 
only  by  pushing  forward  that  the  teaching  of  reading  is 
accomplished. 

As  indicated,  drill  in  the  phonic  series  should  begin  with 
the  third  story  and  should  develop  as  indicated  in  various 
suggestions  that  follow. 

The  phonic  drills  beginning  with  the  third  story  will 
be  on  n  in  not,  d  in  dog,  y  in  you  and  c  in  cat.  Give  fre- 
quent drills,  also  on  the  first  four  phonic  series  while  the 
pupils  are  reading  this  story. 


Cautions 

1.  Do  not  re-arrange  sentences  so  that  they  are  contra- 
dictory to  the  facts  in  the  story,  merely  for  the  sake  of 
word  drill.  For  example,  such  sentences  as  these  should 
not  be  given :  The  little  red  hen  did  not  find  a  seed,  or  The 
little  red  hen  said,  "Not  I." 

2.  Above  all,  do  not  measure  your  success  by  the  num- 
ber of  words  your  pupils  know,  nor  judge  the  work  of 
the  first  year  by  the  number  of  books  read,  but  by  the 
ease  with  which  the  pupils  attack  new  material. 


34  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

THE  BOY  AND  THE  GOAT 

Some  teachers  prefer  not  to  tell  this  story  before  reading 
it.  The  pictures,  the  words  already  fairly  familiar,  and 
the  rapidly  growing  desire  and  ability  on  the  part  of  pupils 
to  find  out  new  words  and  sentences  for  themselves  by 
means  of  phonics,  will  more  and  more  do  away  with  the 
need  for  blackboard  preparation  for  each  page,  and  for  oral 
introductions.  The  teacher  must  come  less  and  less  be- 
tween the  child  and  the  book,  if  reading  is  taught 
effectively. 

The  phonic  work  to  be  carried  on  concurrently  with  the 
•reading  of  this  story  is  on  m  in  m  an,  s  in  s  o,  h  in  ~b  ut, 
and  th  in  tin  en.  At  the  same  time  take  the  next  four  of 
the  phonic  series.  Remember  that  in  extending  the  work 
with  these  series,  there  should  be  constant  review  of  series 
already  taught. 

This  story  of  the  boy  and  the  goat  is  an  excellent  one  to 
play.  The  dialogue  is  natural  and  the  action  rather  funny. 
Written  suggestions,  taking  words  or  sentences  from  the 
story,  may  be  used  to  start  the  play,  but  if  used  through- 
out the  lesson  are  too  likely  to  hamper  freedom  of  action 
and  original  expression. 

THE  PANCAKE 

By  this  time  the  children  should  have  considerable  power 
to  recognize  words.  It  should  not  be  necessary  to  tell 
this  story  as  a  whole  before  reading  begins,  for  then  the 
incentive  for  discovering  thought  for  themselves  is  taken 
away  from  the  pupils. 

Through  use  of  the  pictures,  hint  just  enough  to  lead 
the  children  into  each  page.  They  will  partly  guess  at  the 
reading  there,  but  they  must  be  made  to  be  sure  when  they 
are  right  by  verifying  or  disproving  their  guesses  by 
sounding  the  words. 


PUPILS  USE  PRIxMER  FROM  FIRST  35 

Example:  At  beginning  of  the  lesson  the  teacher  may- 
say: 

"This  tells  about  an  old  woman  and  all  her  children. 
How  many  do  you  suppose  she  had?"  Children  probably 
count  and  answer  "seven."  Read  the  first  sentence  and 
sec  what  the  book  says.  Children  then  read,  first  silently, 
then  orally.  "What  word  makes  you  sure  how  many  there 
were?"     Children  point  to  the  word  seven, 

"What  has  she  on  the  board?"  asks  the  teacher,  refer- 
ring again  to  the  picture.  Guesses  are  made  and  then  the 
children  are  told  to  find  out  what  the  second  sentence  really 
tells.     The  word  is  the  name  of  the  story. 

Then  after  two  sentences  have  been  studied  through, 
another  child  is  called  upon  to  read  both.  Then  a  third 
is  approached,  and  so  the  story  grows.  After  the  first 
three  pages  have  been  thus  developed  sentence  by  sentence, 
tin'  rest  of  the  story  will  need  less  questioning,  for  con- 
tinued repetition  will  add  to  the  number  of  words  known 
at  sight,  and  the  cumulative  thought  will  make  it  much 
easier  to  infer  what  is  coming  next.  So  questions  may 
tell  less,  and  only  direct — for  example:  "See  what  hap- 
pened next,"  or  "what  did  he  say  after  that?" 

This  is  a  well  arranged  story,  as  are  many  of  those  in 
the  book,  for  getting  good  grouping  of  words.  For  exam- 
ple "/or  the  boy,  into  the  woods,  over  the  brook,"  etc., 
should  be  glanced  at  as  a  single  word  and  not  spoken  one 
at  a  time.  With  careless  teaching,  one  rather  bad  habit 
may  be  formed.  -  That  is,  children  may  learn  to  drop  their 
voices  after  the  word  said  when  it  introduces  someone's 
conversation.  This,  however  may  easily  be  guarded 
against  if  the  pupils  are  trained  to  read  thoughts  as  wholes. 

This  grouping  of  words  or  "phrasing"  is  one  of  the 
very  best  aids  in  securing  expression  and  it  should  have 
constant  attention. 


36  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

In  fact  nothing  less  than  this  is  reading.  The  teacher 
who  accepts  less  is  not  teaching  reading. 

The  phonic  drills  with  this  story  are  /  in  fox,  t  in  to, 
g  in  get  and  k  in  kill.  Add  to  this,  drills  in  phonic  series 
nine  to  twelve,  inclusive,  with  reviews  of  series  already 
taught. 

CHICKEN  LITTLE 

This  story  needs  little  development  beyond  the  second 
page,  except  a  naming  by  the  teacher  of  the  characters  as 
they  appear  in  the  pictures.  The  names  given  in  nursery 
rhymes  vary,  and  a  class  of  children  may  have  quite  a 
variety  to  suggest  if  left  to  guess.  Teachers  must  remem- 
ber that  one  "right-telling"  is  not  enough  to  make  up  for 
three  or  four  "wrong-tellings"  on  the  part  of  classmates. 

In  using  the  review  stories,  for  example,  page  76,  after 
a  study  lesson  with  the  teacher,  in  which  questions,  word 
drills,  and  phonics  help  the  children  to  find  out  what  the 
page  says,  the  teacher  may  profitably  plan  a  seat  lesson 
in  silent  reading  something  as  follows: 

Each  child  is  supplied  with  a  piece  of  drawing  paper 
and  a  soft  pencil. 

The  teacher  goes  about  from  seat  to  seat,  encouraging 
and  teaching  the  individuals,  whose  different  conceptions 
of  the  story  will  be  amazing  and  interesting. 

Each  child  is  directed  to  read  a  little,  until  something 
reminds  him  of  a  good  picture  to  draw.  Then  he  is  to 
stop  and  make  the  picture — read  again,  draw  another 
and  so  on.  The  pictures  will  tell  whether  pupils  have 
really  read,  and  how  they  interpreted  their  reading. 

This  may  be  varied  by  having  pupils  cut  the  pictures 
from  paper,  free  hand,  instead  of  drawing  them.  This  is 
desirable  in  such  a  story  as  ' '  The  Three  Billy  Goats  Gruff, ' ' 
where  the  bridge,  the  hill,  the  troll,  and  the  goats  are  easily 


PUPILS  USE  PRIMER  FROM  FIRST  37 

distinguishable  forms.  A  child  likes  to  have  his  cuttings 
recognized. 

The  phonic  drill  with  the  sixth  story,  " Chicken  Little," 
will  be  cr  in  cry,  wh  in  why,  and  qu  in  quench.  Add 
phonic  series  thirteen  to  sixteen,  inclusive,  and  review  all 
series  already  taught. 

The  phonic  drills  with  the  seventh  story,  "The  Billy 
Goats  Gruff,"  will  be  with  ch  in  chicken,  sn  in  snout,  and 
sk  in  sky.  Add  to  these  a  thorough  review  drill  in  all 
the  phonic  series  already  taught. 

LITTLE  TUPPENS  AND  LITTLE  SPIDER'S  FIRST  WEB 

By  this  time  pupils  should  be  accustomed  to  attempting 
new  words  without  much  help  from  the  teacher.  However, 
it  is  advisable  to  teach  the  new  words  which  appear  in  these 
stories  before  attempting  the  reading,  for  when  the  stum- 
bling blocks  are  removed  the  appreciation  of  the  story  is 
greater,  the  pupils  enjoy  the  story,  and  hence  they  read 
better.  In  teaching  the  new  words,  a  pupil  should  never 
be  told  the  word  if  he  can  possibly  get  it  for  himself. 
Though  it  takes  more  time,  it  pays  to  let  the  child  use  his 
own  powers  in  this  work. 

"While  reading  the  eighth  and  ninth  stories,  the  con- 
sonant drill  will  be  with  gr  in  gruff,  th  in  thank,  and  tr  in 
trip.  Also  complete  phonic  series  seventeen  to  twenty, 
inclusive.  Review  all  phonic  series  including  series  one 
to  twenty. 

SILENT  READING 

Silent  reading  can  only  be  of  value  when  pupils  know 
the  words  of  a  story  at  sight,  or  can  find  them  out  with- 
out audible  effort.  Silent  reading  is  a  thing  to  be  taught 
with  care,  and  with  much  persistence.  It  should  begin 
the  first  days  of  school  and  continue  throughout  the  grades. 


38  PEIMAEY  BEADING  AND  LITERATURE 

Whispering,  or  using  lips  is  not  silent  reading.  After  sen- 
tences, paragraphs,  or  pages  have  been  worked  through  for 
thought,  with  the  teacher's  help,  there  should  be  thorough 
drill  in  glancing  through  the  material.  Drills  of  various 
sorts  should  increase  the  speed  with  which  this  can  be  done. 
Single  sentences  on  cards  or  strips  of  paper  are  of  value 
here,  since  they  can  be  held  quiet  for  a  second,  then  removed 
from  view.  Finding  the  place  on  a  page  is  another  good 
kind  of  drill. 

SEAT  WORK   SUGGESTED   FOR   THE    CHILDREN 

I.    Work  Based  on  Handwork 

1.  Draw  pictures  that  will  tell  parts  of  the  story.  The 
pupils  should  do  this,  not  by  copying  someone  else's  ideas, 
but  by  each  one  showing  how  he  thinks  it  might  have  been. 
Encourage  originality  here. 

Mediums — Charcoal,  crayola,  soft  pencils,  or  chalk. 

2.  Cut  or  tear  from  drawing  paper  or  ordinary  wrap- 
ping paper  figures  showing  parts  of  stories.  Mount  on 
suitable  background. 

3.  Color  outline  pictures  the  teacher  has  copied  on  hec- 
tograph  or  mimeograph. 

4.  After  a  lesson  with  the  teacher  on  the  needed  folds 
and  pastings,  let  children  make  small  paper  boxes  for  hold- 
ing a  little  earth  in  which  wheat  seeds  may  be  planted. 
These  germinate  very  quickly,  and  after  they  are  a  few 
days  old,  may  be  carried  home  in  triumph  by  the  "little 
red  hens"  who  planted  them. 

5.  Children  may  make  of  clay  various  things  suggested 
by  the  different  stories.  For  example,  in  connection  with 
"The  Gingerbread  Boy"  they  may  make: 

The  gingerbread  boy. 

The  bowl  in  which  the  old  woman  made  him. 


PUPILS  USE  PEIMER  FROM  FIRST  39 

Her  rolling  pin. 
The  little  old  woman. 

6.  The  sand-table  is  a  very  helpful  medium  for  fixing 
the  scenes  of  the  stories  and  promoting  freedom  and  origi- 
nality of  expression. 

LITTLE  RED  HEN  STORY 

The  sand-table  is  converted  into  a  barnyard. 

a.  Cardboard  barn  made  by  the  pupils  is  placed  in  the 
barnyard. 

b.  A  fence  can  be  made  by  folding  an  oblong  paper 
several  times  and  cutting  so  as  to  show  posts  and  hori- 
zontal boa  ids. 

c.  The  figures  in  the  story  can  be  modeled  in  clay  or  cut 
out  of  paper.  If  made  from  paper,  they  should  be  cut 
free-hand  and  suitably  colored.  Make  two  of  each  figure, 
paste  together  with  a  wooden  paste-splint  or  strip  of  stiff 
cardboard  between,  protruding  an  inch  so  as  to  make  a 
stem  to  be  stuck  into  the  sand  and  hold  the  figures  in  an 
upright  position. 

GINGERBREAD  BOY 

Figures  cut  from  paper,  either  by  pattern  or  free-hand, 
of  the  gingerbread  boy,  old  woman,  old  man,  cat,  dog, 
fox,  etc.,  can  be  treated  like  those  of  the  preceding  story. 

The  sooner  the  pupils  get  to  the  free-hand  cutting,  the  sooner  will 
their  powers  of  free  expression  grow.  This  work  may  be  very  crude 
in  the  beginning  but  it  is  astonishing  how  their  ability  to  express 
grows  and  the  sand-table,  giving  the  practical  use  for  these  cuttings, 
encourages  the  pupils  greatly. 

THE  OLD  WOMAN  AND  HER  PIG 

A  stile  is  not  within  the  experience  of  many  of  the  chil- 
dren.    Here  is  a  splendid  chance  to  build  either  a  card- 


40  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

board  stile  or  a  wooden  one  on  the  sand-table.  The  scene 
where  "the  old  woman  got  home  that  night"  works  out 
well  on  the  sand-table.  Her  old  house,  the  stile  and  the 
old  woman  leading  the  pig  down  the  road  make  a  good 
scene. 

THREE  BILLY  GOATS  GRUFF 
Make  a  cardboard  bridge  and  cuttings  of  the  three  goats. 
Water  can  be  represented  by  placing  a  glass  over  blue 
paper.  Sand  will  make  a  very  good  irregular  coast-line  to 
the  river.  The  hill  may  be  of  sand  piled  up  and  covered 
with  sawdust  dyed  green.  The  goats  might  be  modeled 
of  clay.  The  bridge  then  should  be  modeled  of  clay  to  rep- 
resent a  stone  bridge.  These  suggestions  are  sufficient  to 
show  the  possibilities  of  the  sand-table,  with  which  every 
primary  room  should  be  supplied. 

II.    Work  Based  on  Word-Forms 

1.  The  teacher  may  duplicate  the  sentences  on  a  certain 
page  of  the  "Primer,"  using  each  sentence  several  times. 
If  she  has  a  mimeograph  at  hand  this  is  not  hard.  These 
pages  are  given  to  the  children,  at  first  as  a  reading  lesson 
in  class.  Then  they  take  them  to  their  seats  and  cut  the 
sentences  so  they  stand  on  separate  strips.  Each  child  then 
places  all  that  are  alike  in  one  group,  like  words  one  under 
another.  Not  only  does  this  care  in  grouping  the  sentences 
and  words  aid  the  pupils  in  distinguishing  like  words  but 
the  teacher  can  easily  inspect  the  work  after  it  is  done. 

2.  These  same  strips  may  be  placed  in  envelopes  and 
a  few  days  later,  when  the  child  has  had  more  drill  on 
those  sentences,  he  is  asked  as  seat  work  to  look  them  over, 
put  all  he  knows  in  one  pile  and  all  he  does  not  know  in 
another. 

3.  He  may  be  directed  to  lay  them  in  order,  to  make 
a  story  like  the  one  on  the  board. 


PUPILS  USK  PBIMEB  FROM  PIBST  41 

4.  He  may  lay  them  in  order,  so  as  to  build  a  small  story 
of  his  own — or  from  memory. 

5.  Pupils  may  be  tested  on  the  ready  recognition  of  the 
words  of  a  story  studied  by  referring  to  the  list  at  the  back 
of  the  book. 

Exercises  1  and  3  may  be  done  when  the  child  does  not 
know  a  single  word  at  sight,  if  he  can  recognize  words  that 
are  alike ;  2  and  4  imply  a  knowledge  of  at  least  part  of  the 
words  and  so  are  to  be  later  treatments  of  the  same 
material. 

These  following  devices  may  be  used  later  with  lists 
of  words,  either  the  well-printed  ones  provided  by  the 
publisher*  of  the  "Primer"  on  convenient  sheets  of  paper, 
or  lists  based  on  the  lesson  of  the  week,  mimeographed  by 
the  teacher  so  they  can  be  cut  apart. 

1.  Finding  words  alike. 

2.  Separating  known  words  from  unknown. 

3.  Building  sentences  when  model  is  given. 

4.  Building  original  sentences. 

Caution 

If  this  work  is  worth  doing  at  all,  it  is  worth  inspection 
on  the  part  of  the  teacher  after  it  is  done.  The  teacher 
should  pass  up  and  down  the  aisles,  commenting  upon  the 
neatness  and  exactness  of  the  work,  also  testing  the  pupils 
as  to  the  thought  they  have  put  upon  it,  by  questioning  in 
this  manner.  What  do  these  sentences  say?  What  are 
these  words  ? 

III.     Work  Based  on  Silent  Reading 

This  should  be  deferred  until  the  latter  part  of  the  first 

year.     Use  a  review  story.     Let  children  read  until  they 

*  All  the  words  of  the  Primer,  each  repeated  several  times,  are 
printed  on  13  cards,  to  be  cut  up  by  the  pupils  as  needed. 


42  PRIMARY  BEADING  AND  LITERATURE 

find  a  sentence  which  suggests  a  good  picture,  then  stop 
to  make  a  picture,  read  a  little  more,  make  another  pic- 
ture, etc. 

Do  not  ask  children  to  do  much  writing  for  seat  work. 

Suggestions  of  General  Interest 

Let  the  children  plant  wheat  seeds  as  suggested  above. 

Ask  them  to  bring  ripened  stalks  of  wheat  to  school. 
Show  what  happens  when  wheat  is  threshed. 

Grind  some  grain  of  wheat  between  two  stones.  Sift 
bran  and  flour.  Show  several  good  pictures  of  the  animals 
mentioned  in  the  stories  as  you  talk  about  them,  especially 
if  you  are  teaching  where  children  have  little  opportunity 
to  know  animals  well. 

Use  cuttings  of  these  animals,  the  best  views  you  can  get, 
for  a  border  along  the  top  of  your  blackboard,  adding  to 
the  procession  as  fast  as  each  new  friend  comes  into  the 
stories.  This  is  well  suggested  by  the  grouping  of  animals 
on  the  outside  of  the  "Primer,"  and  the  blackboard  parade 
can  be  made  a  real  help  in  holding  the  interest  of  the  chil- 
dren in  the  slow  growing  ability  to  read  about  those  friends. 


TION  II 

AN  ALTERNATE  PLAN 
GENERAL  OUTLINE 

Teach  the  vocabulary  of  ''The  Little  Red  Hen"  and 
"The  Gingerbread  Boy"  to  page  24.  Children  should  have 
at  least  two  reading  lessons  daily  from  the  blackboard  and 
one  each  for  word  development  and  drill.  These  read- 
ing lessons  from  the  board  should  consist  of  sentences  In 
which  all  words  taught  are  used  as  given  in  the  book,  but 
they  may  be  in  different  arrangement  from  the  sentences 
in  book.  Sentences  printed  with  a  sign  printer,  upon  long 
strips  of  manila  cardboard,  the  perception  cards  and  word 
cards  should  be  used  also.  About  three  w^eeks  should  be 
spent  on  the  board  work. 

When  all  the  words  of  ' '  The  Little  Red  Hen ' '  story  have 
been  taught  and  read  in  sentences  in  this  way,  the  children 
may  read  the  story  in  the  book.  Continue  in  this  way 
through  the  Primer.  "The  Gingerbread  Boy"  will  usually 
take  about  two  and  one-half  weeks.  The  Primer  should 
ordinarily  be  finished  before  January.  Then  as  many 
good  supplementary  readers  should  be  read  as  possible, 
allowing  time  for  the  "Reading-Literature  First  Reader" 
to  be  read  by  the  end  of  the  first  year. 

In  the  Language  period  the  teacher  should  take  up  the 
subject  of  wTheat,  find  out  what  the  pupils  know,  then  add- 
ing to  their  knowledge  by  having  illustrative  materials  such 
as  sheaves  of  wheat,  a  flail,  pictures  of  a  mill,  etc.  The 
Gleaners  is  a  good  masterpiece  to  show  in  connection  with 

43 


44  PKIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

this  literature.     The  teacher  should  describe  the  processes 
through  which  wheat  goes  and  what  it  is  made  into. 

The  First  Reading  Lesson 

The  teacher  tells  the  story  of  ''The  Little  Red  Hen"  to 
the  children.  She  should  keep  the  sentence  form  in  the 
book  but  should  enlarge  and  amplify  the  story  between  the 
sentences.  This  Primer  version  of  the  story  has  purposely 
been  made  very  brief  and  simple.  Allow  the  pupils  to  talk 
about  the  story  and  then  say :  ' '  This  all  happened  because 
the  little  red  hen  found  a  seed."  Then  have  several  chil- 
dren repeat,  "The  little  red  red  hen  found  a  seed."  The 
teacher  may  then  say:  "My  chalk  will  say  it,"  and  she 
writes,  "The  Little  Red  Hen  found  a  seed." 

The  teacher  reads  it  from  the  blackboard,  sliding  the 
pointer  under  the  writing.  Then  ask  other  children  to 
say  it,  always  sliding  the  pointer  underneath.  Also,  the 
teacher  says,  ' '  I  shall  read  it  again  and  I  want  you  to  find 
where  it  says  seed."  She  reads,  pausing  slightly  before 
seed.  One  child  finds  the  word,  places  his  hands  around 
it,  and  tells  what  he  found.  Then  several  children  do  the 
same.  The  teacher  says,  "Would  you  know  it  if  I  wrote 
it  here?"  She  writes  seed  in  various  places  on  the  board, 
children  saying  it  each  time.  In  passing  to  their  seats, 
each  pupil  touches  some  part  of  the  reading  lesson  and 
tells  what  it  is. 

Second  Reading  Lesson 

The  teacher  says,  "I  am  glad  (then  writes  while  saying) 
— The  little  red  hen  found  a  seed;  for  if  she  hadn't  (point 
ing  to  the  words)  found  a  seed,  we  shouldn't  have  had  this 
delightful  story,  and  another  thing,  because  (writing  sen- 
tence again)  The  little  red  hen  found  a  seed  we  have 
learned  so  much  about  wheat  and  bread." 


AN  ALTERNATE  PLAN  45 

Now  will  you  tell  me  what  this  sentence  is?  And  what 
is  this  (pointing  to  the  other  just  like  first)  ? 

Do  you  see  anything  in  this  sentence  that  looks  like 
part  of  that  sentence?  Let's  read  to  ourselves  and  see  what 
it  is. 

If  this  word  is  seed,  show  me  another  seed. 

If  this  is  found,  where  is  the  other  found? 

Where  is  The  little  red  Kent 

Where  else  is  The  little  red  hen? 

The  teacher  says,  "This  hen  must  have  had  very  sharp 
eyes  to  find  the  seed,  for  (teacher  writes  and  says)  'It  was 
a  little  seed/  and  though  (writes  again)  'It  was  a  little 
seed,'  she  knew  it  was  good  for  something.' ' 

The  teacher  asks,  "Who  knows  where  it  tells  what  kind 
of  seed  it  was  V '  A  pupil  takes  the  pointer,  slides  it  under 
the  sentence  and  reads,  It  was  a  little  seed.  "Where  else 
does  it  say  that  ? ' '  Another  pupil  slides  the  pointer  under 
the  other  sentence,  reading,  It  was  a  little  seed. 

"Do  you  see  any  word  in  one  sentence  that  looks  like  a 
word  in  the  other?  Let  us  find  out  what  it  is.  Read 
silently  until  you  come  to  the  word  and  then  tell  it." 

If  the  word  is  seed,  ask  pupils  to  find  seed  in  the  sentence, 
The  little  red  hen  found  a  seed. 

If  no  pupil  responds  to  the  teacher's  request,  she  might 
say,  "  I  see  seed  here.    Do  you  see  seed  in  that  sentence  ? ' ' 

In  closing  this  lesson  a  game  called  "Clean  House"  is 
great  fun  and  affords  another  opportunity  of  re-reading 
the  sentences.  A  pupil  takes  an  eraser,  goes  to  the  board, 
tells  a  sentence  he  chooses  to  clean  off,  and  then  erases  it. 
Another  follows  in  the  same  way.  This  is  done  until  the 
sentences  are  all  cleaned  off. 

Any  device  that  secures  interested  attention  upon  words 
and  sentences  and  activity  on  the  part  of  pupils  is  good. 


46  PEIMAEY  BEADING  AND  LITERATURE 

The  Third  Lesson 

Commence  with  a  short  word-drill  on  seed,  hen,  found, 
little,  and  wheat.  Then  write  such  sentences  as  these  upon 
the  board : 

The  hen  found  a  seed. 

The  little  hen  found  a  seed. 

The  hen  found  a  little  seed. 

The  hen  found  the  seed. 

The  red  hen  found  the  wheat  seed. 

The  hen  found  the  little  wheat  seed. 

The  little  hen  found  the  seed. 

After  children  have  read  the  sentences,  the  teacher  says, 
"Find  every  place  it  says  seed."  A  child  takes  pointer, 
runs  to  the  board  and  every  time  he  points  to  seed  he  must 
say  "the  word  so  his  classmates  hear  him.  Another  pupil 
finds  the  word  hen  as  often  as  he  can,  and  so  on. 

Fourth  Lesson 

This  is  planned  to  give  word  drill  on  it  and  was,  review- 
ing other  words  of  previous  lesson  by  means  of  a  game. 

Write  one  word  at  a  time  upon  the  board,  asking  pupils 
to  give  it,  until  the  eight  words  are  written.  One  child  is 
then  told  to  stand  in  a  corner  with  his  back  to  the  class, 
covering  both  eyes  with  his  hands.  Another  pupil  is  given 
a  pointer  and  told  to  point  to  one  of  these  words.  When 
this  has  been  done,  the  teacher  says,  "All  right,  John," 
and  John,  who  is  in  the  corner,  comes  back,  takes  the 
pointer  and  says,  pointing  to  a  word,  "Is  it  hen?"  Class 
responds,  "It  is  not  hen."  Then  he  says,  "Is  it  little?" 
If  it  is,  the  others  reply,  "Yes,  it  is  little,"  and  they  clap. 
If  John  doesn't  find  the  word  in  three  guesses,  the  others 
say,  "It  is  red."  Then  John  points  to  red  and  pro- 
nounces it. 


AN  ALTERNATE  PLAN  47 

If  he  can't  find  red,  another  pupil  might  show  him 
where  it  is. 

Then  the  pupils  are  ready  to  read  from  the  board  such 
sentences  as  these,  re-arranged  from  the  story,  but  not 
contradictory  to  the  story. 

The  hen  found  the  seed. 

It  was  the  little  seed. 

It  was  the  little  wheat  seed. 

The  hen  found  the  little  wheat  seed. 

Was  it  the  little  red  hen? 

It  was  the  little  red  hen. 

Fifth  Lesson 

The  teacher  says,  ' '  I  wonder  how  much  you  can  read  of 
this  story."     She  writes, 

The  little  red  hen  found  a  seed. 
It  was  a  little  seed. 

Then  she  produces  the  two  sentences  printed  upon 
manila  cardboard  and  says,  "Can  you  take  the  printed 
sentence  which  says,  It  was  a  little  seed,  and  hold  it  under 
the  same  sentence  at  the  board? 

"Who  can  match  this  one?"  holding  up  the  other  card, 
The  little  red  hen  found  a  seed. 

"Tell  what  it  says.  Show  me  seed  here.  Show  me  seed 
on  the  board.  Show  me  which  part  says,  The  little  red  hen. 
Where  is  it  on  the  board? 

"Show  me  found  on  this  paper;  now  at  the  board." 
Eacli  time  a  child  finds  a  word  or  phrase  or  sentence  he 
should  be  required  to  tell  it  to  the  class. 

Then  take  the  perception  cards,  hen,  little,  red,  etc.  Have 
pupils  match  each  to  the  printed  word  in  the  sentence. 
Match  each  to  the  written  word  on  the  board. 

This  time  in  the  game  "Clean  House"  each  child  might 
erase  but  a  word  or  phrase. 


48  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

Sixth  Lesson 

The  teacher  says,  ' '  What  did  the  little  red  hen  say  when 
she  found  the  seed?" 

A  pupil — "The  little  red  hen  said,  Who  will  plant  the 
seed?" 

The  teacher  writes  the  sentence  and  then  says,  "Find 
The  little  red  hen.  Find  seed.  Which  part  says,  Who  will 
plant  the  seed?  Read  to  yourselves  until  you  find  plant. 
Where  is  plant,  John?" 

John  takes  the  pointer  and  points  to  plant. 

1 '  Read  to  yourselves  until  you  find  who.  Show  it  to  me, 
Mary. ' ' 

Mary  points  to  who. 

The  teacher  says,  "Who  said  (then  writes)  Not  I"? 

A  child— "The  pig." 

Then  teacher  makes  it  read,  The  pig  said,  "Not  I." 

Then  a  pupil  reads  the  whole  sentence. 

"Who  else  said,  'NotV"? 

A  pupil  says,  "The  cat."  The  teacher  writes  The  cat 
said  before  Not  I. 

Then  the  teacher  says,  "Who  else  wouldn't  work?" 

Pupil— "The  dog." 

Teacher— "What  did  he  say?" 

Pupil— "Not  I." 

The  teacher  then  writes,  "The  dog  said,  'Not  I.'  " 

The  teacher  says,  "Which  sentence  says,  'The  cat  said, 
Not  V?  Which  part  says,  'Not  VI  Show  me  some  more 
Not  Vs."  This  should  be  easily  recognized  by  pupils  if 
the  teacher  has  been  very  careful  to  write  all  these  similar 
groups  one  below  another. 

Teacher — "Which  word  is  cat?  Where  is  said?  Show 
me  another  said,  and  another. ' ' 


AN  ALTEKNATE  PLAN  49 

The  other  sentences  should  be  dealt  with  in  a  similar 
way.  In  concluding  the  lesson  use  the  "Clean-House" 
game. 

Seventh  Lesson- 
As  part  of  the  phonic  lesson  a  short  drill  on  the  words 
already  studied  should  be  given  each  day,  but  sometimes 
it  is  well  to  sharpen  the  children's  wits  with  a  short  drill 
just  before  the  reading  lesson. 

For  example,  What  did  the  (teacher  writes  and  speaks) 
cat  say? 

Child— "Not  I." 

The  teacher  writes  that  under  cat.  Pointing  to  the  words, 
the  teacher  says,  ' '  Who  else  said,  '  Not  I '  ? " 

Child— "The  dog." 

The  teacher  writes  dog  under  not  I. 

Teacher — "Who  else  refused  to  work?" 

Child— "The  pig." 

Teacher  writes  pig  under  dog. 

Then  she  reviews  the  whole  sentence,  Who  will  plant  the 
seed?  by  saying,  "What  did  the  hen  say  when  the  pig  said, 
'Not  I'f" 

Now  rearrange  the  sentences  like  this  and  write  them 
upon  the  board : 

"Who  will  plant  the  seed?"  said  the  little  red  hen. 
"Not  I,"  said  the  cat. 
"Not  I,"  said  the  pig. 
"Not  I,"  said  the  dog. 

Have  the  children  find  all  the  places  it  says  Not  I,  said,  I. 
Find  pig,  cat,  dog,  plant,  etc. 

Eighth  Lesson 

The  teacher  writes,  The  little  red  hen  said,  "Who  will 
plant  the  wheat?" 


50  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

A  child  reads  the  sentence.  Then  she  writes,  The  pig 
said,  "Not  I." 

Another  child  reads  this,  and  so  on  until  she  has  written 
what  is  on  page  four.  The  last  sentence  is  new,  but  it 
almost  teaches  itself.  Then  the  children  play  "  Match, " 
that  is,  matching  the  printed  sentences  which  the  teacher 
has  prepared  with  the  written  sentences  upon  the  board. 
Then  find  the  separate  words  and  match  the  printed  words 
to  the  written  words  upon  the  blackboard  and  to  the  sep- 
arate words  in  the  printed  sentences. 

By  this  time  the  pupils  should  be  familiar  with  the 
seven  different  sentences. 

A  new  game  can  now  be  played.  It  is  called  "Draw." 
The  teacher  holds  the  printed  sentences  face  down  in  her 
hand.  Each  child  draws  from  her  hand  a  sentence  and 
studies  it. 

The  teacher  says,  "Sentences  over!"  which  means  that 
the  pupils  turn  the  cards  face  down  in  their  laps  and  fold 
their  hands.  She  chooses  one  pupil  at  a  time  to  stand 
before  the  class,  hold  his  long  strip  so  the  pupils  can  read 
it,  too,-  and  he  tells  them  what  his  sentence  says.  If  there 
are  not  enough  sentences  to  go  around,  the  rest  of  the  class 
"draw"  after  this  first  group  have  read.  This  game  affords 
another  opportunity  for  review,  but  unless  there  be  spice 
and  the  spirit  of  play  in  the  work,  review  so  early  does  not 
appeal  to  the  pupils. 

From  now  on  the  number  of  sentences  grows  quite 
rapidly  and  each  pupil  will  soon  have  a  different  sentence. 

This  same  game  can  be  played  with  the  separate  words. 

These  games  and  devices  are  good  all  through  the  story 
of  "The  Gingerbread  Boy." 

With  the  Gingerbread  story  the  phonic  drills  should 
begin  and  they  should  be  followed  as  outlined  in  previous 
pages. 


AN  ALTERNATE  PLAN  51 

Caution 

Do  not  permit  pupils  to  "read  until  they  make  a  mis- 
take." Emphasis  should  not  be  placed  upon  words  alone, 
but  upon  the  thought  of  the  sentence.  Class  criticism  which 
runs  to  mere  fault-finding  should  not  be  permitted.  An 
atmosphere  of  helpfulness  and  sympathy  is  what  is  needed. 
It  is  generally  better  for  the  teacher  to  make  the  criticisms. 
If  the  pupil  reads  too  poorly  to  go  on,  require  him  to  study 
the  work,  and  get  ready  for  the  oral  reading.  Say  to  him, 
"You  haven't  the  thought,  better  look  again."  If  he  gives 
the  thought  correctly  but  not  in  the  words  of  the  book, 
say  to  him,  "You  have  the  thought,  but  exactly  how  does 
the  book  give  it?" 


SECTION  III 
SUPPLEMENTARY  READING 
All  reading  material  should  stand  three  tests. 

1.  Will  it  increase  the  child's  desire  to  read? 

2.  Does  it  make  an  appropriate  demand  for  good  reading 
habits  and  good  taste  ? 

3.  Does  it  have  an  intrinsic  value  in  the  subject  matter 
which  it  presents,  or  in  the  emotions  which  it  is  capable 
of  arousing  in  children  ? 

Silent  Eeading 

Silent  reading  should  have  the  first  place  in  the  supple- 
mentary reading.  Some  one  has  said, ' '  Silent  reading  is  the 
agency  which  enables  the  child  to  look  through  the  words 
to  the  thought  in  the  same  way  that  one  looks  through  a 
clean  window  glass  to  the  objects  beyond." 

Silent  reading  is  the  only  way  to  teach,  rapid  reading, 
because  a '  child  is  not  hindered  by  the  agencies  he  uses 
when  reading  aloud.  When  the  child  acquires  facility  in 
word-recognition  he  is  likely  to  read  aloud  too  rapidly. 
It  also  is  an  aid  in  discipline ;  it  helps  the  teacher  to  save 
her  voice  for  a  time  when  it  is  more  necessary  to  talk;  it 
makes  an  excellent  medium  of  communication.  It  is  now 
generally  conceded  that  the  more  a  teacher  talks  the  more 
she  must  talk  and  the  less  is  her  power  in  the  schoolroom. 

The  following  examples  show  how  silent  reading  may  be 
used  at  a  very  early  stage : 

I.  This  lesson  can  be  given  for  a  class  who  are  to  leave 
the  seats  and  go  to  the  front  of  the  room  for  a  lesson.  The 
teacher  writes : 

52 


SUPPLEMENTARY  READING  53 

1.  Stand. 

2.  Drum,  George.  (George  runs  to  the  front  of  the  room 
and  gets  tlie  drum.) 

3.  March!  (When  teacher  puts  in  the  punctuation, 
George  takes  the  mark  as  a  signal  to  beat  the  drum  and 
the  pupils  begin  to  move.) 

When  the  pupils  have  reached  their  destination  George 
puts  the  drum  away. 

The  teacher  writes,  Thank  you,  George. 
George  says,  ''You're  welcome,  Miss ." 

II.  For  morning  work. 

The  teacher  writes,  Good  morning,  children. 

(Pupils  rise  and  say,  "Good  morning,  Miss .") 

The  teacher  writes,  Please  close  the  door,  May.     When 
May  returns  teacher  has  written,  Thank  you,  May. 
May  replies,  "You're  welcome,  Miss ." 

III.  Just  before  the  books  are  used  in  a  reading  lesson. 
The  teacher  writes,  Please  pass  the  books,  James.     Or  if 

a  guest  comes  in,  You  may  give  your  book  to  our  guest, 
Edith. 

IV.  Just  before  dismissing  in  the  afternoon  the  teacher 
writes: 

Please  pass  the  basket,  May. 

Thank  you,  May. 

Good  night,  children. 

Pupils  rise  and  say,  "Good  night,  Miss ." 

V.  When  distributing  materials,  the  teacher  writes : 

1.  Helpers,  stand!  (Pupils  who  are  appointed  as  helpers 
stand  and  take  materials  to  be  distributed.) 

2.  Pass. 

VI.  In  singing  time. 

1.  Let's  have  a  concert.     You  may  sing,  James. 

2.  Clap.     (Pupils  clap  when  James  has  finished.) 


54  PEIMAKY  BEADING  AND  LITERATURE 

3.  You  may  sing,  Elizabeth.  When  Elizabeth  finishes 
the  teacher  points  to  word  clap. 

Action  Lessons 

Make  the  class  work  lively  by  originality  in  the  introduc- 
tion of  new  devices,  in  word  drill,  and  in  lessons  generally, 
that  the  exercises  may  not  become  monotonous.  Require 
the  sentences  of  the  lessons  to  be  acted  whenever  possible 
in  beginning  work. 

Sample  Lessons  in  Silent  Reading 

I.  Let  us  play  "The  Little  Red  Hen." 
You  may  be  the  hen,  Mary. 

You  may  be  the  pig,  Jack. 
You  may  be  the  cat,  Alice. 
You  may  be  the  dog,  Ben. 

II.  "We  are  going  to  play  ' '  The  Boy  and  the  Goat. ' ' 
You  may  be  the  boy,  Frank. 

John,  you  may  be  the  goat. 
You  may  be  the  rabbit,  Bert. 
Grace  may  be  the  squirrel. 
William  may  be  the  fox. 
Alice,  you  may  be  the  bee. 

There  are  so  many  practical  uses  for  silent  sentence  read- 
ing that  it  is  unnecessary  to  have  the  children  do  absurd 
things  just  for  the  sake  of  having  them  read  and  act.  For 
instance,  rather  than  ask  a  child  merely  to  "Run  to  the 
door,"  write,  "Please  close  the  door,"  or  "Please  open  the 
door." 

Books  for  Supplementary  Reading 

Books  for  supplementary  reading  should  be  selected  with 
great  care.  The  teacher  should  look  them  through  delib- 
erately, asking: 


SUPPLEMENTAEY  EEADING  55 

1.  Will  they  be  interesting  to  the  children? 

2.  Will  they  create  in  the  child  a  desire  to  read? 

3.  Do  they  lead  to  consecutive  thinking  or  are  they  dis- 
connected in  thought? 

4.  Will  they  enrich  the  lives  of  these  children? 

5.  Would  the  material  be  considered  acceptable  reading 
for  children  outside  of  school? 

Teaching  the  Child  to  Copy  or  Write  the  Words 

1.  Write  a  known  word  on  the  blackboard. 

2.  Have  the  class  watch  you  trace  the  word  with  a 
pointer. 

3.  Have  the  child  hold  up  his  pencil  and  think  of  it  as 
long  enough  to  reach  the  board.  Let  him  trace  with  the 
teacher. 

4.  Pupils  trace  the  form  with  the  pencil  in  the  air 
without  help. 

5.  Cover  up  the  word.    Pupils  trace  in  the  air. 

6.  Ask  them  if  they  can  think  the  word.     (It  is  covered.) 

7.  If  they  cannot  form  a  mental  picture  of  the  word, 
repeat  these  steps  until  they  can. 

8.  When  they  can  see  the  word  mentally,  erase  the  word 
and  let  them  write  from  this  mental  image. 

9.  Teach  other  new  words  in  the  same  way.  Always 
requiring  the  pupil  to  write  from  the  image. 

10.  Repeat  until  the  pupil  uses  the  process  mechanically 
for  all  new  and  old  words. 

Drill  Upon  the  Words 

1.  Reserve  a  place  upon  the  board  to  list  words  as  fast 
as  learned. 

2.  Review  the  list  by  skipping  about  as  part  of  each 
day's  lesson. 

3.  Place  words  in  all  possible  combinations  and  drill  until 
the  recognition  of  words  is  instantaneous. 


SECTION  IV 

Phonics 
Definitions  of  Terms  Used 

' '  A  phonogram  is  a  letter  or  character  used  to  represent 
a  particular  sound. ' '  Phonograms  are  spoken  of  as  simple 
phonograms  and  as  blended  or  compound  phonograms. 

A  phonogram  represents  a  single  sound.  It  includes  the 
consonants;  the  consonant  digraphs  as  ch,  sh,  wh,  th,  gh, 
ph,  ng,  ck,  etc. ;  the  vowels ;  the  diphthongs  ow,  ou,  oy,  oi ; 
the  vowel  digraphs  ai,  ay,  ey,  ea,  ei,  ee,  ei,  etc.;  and  the 
vowel  equivalents  igh,  eigh,  etc. 

A  sight  word  is  a  word  that  has  been  taught  as  a  whole. 
The  word  is  recognized  as  a  unit  from  the  mental  picture 
which  has  been  formed  of  it. 

Work  in  phonics  is  an  aid  only  to  provide  tools  by  which 
the  child  may  gain  independence  in  reading.  The  more 
skillful  the  pupil  is  in  the  use  of  these  tools,  the  more  easily 
will  he  get  the  thought  and  feeling  of  the  author. 

The  written  and  printed  words  a  child  first  meets  in 
learning  to  read  are  strange  symbols  to  him.  They  mean 
nothing  until  they  are  interpreted.  This  interpretation  is, 
at  first,  made  by  the  teacher  through : 

1.  Direct  association  of  the  object  with  its  written  or 
printed  name.  For  example,  she  writes  the  word  seed  on 
the  board  and  holds  the  object  beside  the  name.  Later  she 
writes  the  word,  and,  without  speaking  the  word,  asks  the 
pupils  to  show  her  what  it  names.  They  say  nothing,  but 
point  to  the  object  or  the  picture  of  it. 

56 


PHONICS  57 

2.  Direct  association  of  action  with  the  phrases  or  words, 
written  or  printed,  that  suggest  it.  For  example,  the 
teacher  writes  the  word  clap  on  the  board,  and  interprets 
its  meaning  by  clapping  her  hands  instead  of  by  speaking 
the  word. 

3.  Association  of  written  or  printed  symbol  with  the  idea 
represented  through  the  spoken  word,  a  symbol  which  we 
suppose  the  child  to  understand,  since  he  has  heard  words 
spoken  for  six  years.  This  is  the  plan  especially  recom- 
mended in  this  book. 

So  long  as  a  child  depends  on  his  teacher  to  tell  him  the 
words  his  eye  does  not  at  once  recognize,  just  so  long  he 
has  not  learned  to  read — to  get  words — and  through  words, 
the  thought  and  feeling  of  the  printed  page. 

For  five  years  at  least  the  child  who  enters  the  primary 
school  has  acquired  words  through  hearing  them  spoken. 
Now  he  sees  these  words  printed;  and  since  our  language 
is  in  part  spelled  phonetically,  the  knowledge  of  the  sound 
values  of  the  letters  helps  a  child  to  find  out  from  the 
written  word  the  spoken  word  with  which  he  is  already 
familiar,  and  for  which  the  written  word,  in  a  measure, 
stands. 

To  be  sure,  this  finding  out  for  himself  each  new  word 
is  a  slower  way  of  getting  the  thought  from  a  sentence  than 
being  told  by  the  teacher  or  classmate,  but,  while  speed  in 
reading  is  without  doubt  an  end  to  be  desired  and  worked 
for,  it  is  not  the  first  one  to  be  accomplished.  It  is  only 
by  attaining  independent  power  in  word-recognition  that 
learners  acquire  freedom. 

How  shall  we  teach  the  children  to  use  the  sound  values 
of  the  letters  as  a  means  of  making  them  independent  in 
reading?  The  following  outline  is  suggested  as  one  of  the 
many  possible  ways  of  getting  at  the  essentials  with  a 
small  amount  of  "red  tape"  and  no  "padding." 


58  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

Ear-Drill 

What  Shall  We  Aim  at?  By  the  end  of  the  first  six 
months  in  school  we  want  pupils  who  meet  new  words  on 
the  pages  of  their  first  readers  to  attack  them  at  once  by 
thinking  in  order  the  phonic  elements  and  then  blending 
the'se  elements  into  the  word.  But  that  they  may  do  this, 
preparation  and  drill  like  the  following  are  needed,  at 
first  not  at  all  in  connection  with  the  reading  lesson  proper. 

Training*  pupils  to  be  attentive  to  sound.  Tap  the  bell 
or  a  glass  with  a  pencil.  Pupils  to  note  the  sound.  Tap 
another  object.  Pupils  note  the  sound.  Tap  them  again. 
Have  pupils  note  the  difference  in  the  sounds.  Pupils 
close  their  eyes.  Teacher  taps  one  or  the  other  of  the 
objects  already  tapped.  Pupils  called  upon  to  tell  what 
was  sounded.  Test  with  three  sounds,  with  four  sounds, 
with  sounds  quite  similar.  Vary  exercise  by  having  a  pupil 
do  the  tapping,  other  pupils  to  name  the  sound. 

Slow  pronunciation.  After  the  first  story  is  completed, 
several  times  each  day,  the  teacher  should  accustom  the  ears 
of  the  children  to  hearing  words  analyzed  into  their  com- 
ponent parts  as  suggested  in  the  outlined  phonic  drills. 
Now  that  sounds  dry,  dead  and  uninteresting,  but  the 
actual  doing  of  it  should  be  lively,  quick,  and  often  even 
merry.  Time  and  energy  are  both  saved  when  lively  inter- 
est reduces  the  necessity  for  drill  to  a  minimum. 

1.  Testing  and  varying.  She  writes  red  upon  the 
board,  a  word  they  know  well.  The  children  pronounce  it. 
She  erases  r.  "What  has  gone?"  she  asks.  "What  is 
left?"  Then  she  writes  b  in  the  place  where  r  stood. 
"Who  can  find  out  the  word?  Let's  sound  it  and  see  what 
it  says."  Children  sound  b-ed  and  pronounce  bed.  This 
drill  may  begin  with  the  first  series  taught  and  may  be 
rapidly  extended  as  the  various  series  are  brought  into 
use. 


PHONICS  59 

2.  Dictation.  The  teacher  at  another  time  may  dic- 
tate to  the  children,  to  write  for  themselves,  simple  words 
made  up  from  the  elements  with  which  they  are  very  famil- 
iar and  have  them  written  in  the  air  and  on  the  board  many 
times.  These  words  should  not  be  those  they  know  at 
sight,  or  the  joy  of  creating  will  be  lost  in  the  effort  to 
recall  a  hazy  image  from  memory.  Such  words  as  me,  no, 
so,  are  enough  to  test  the  powers  of  the  children  at  first, 
and  the  teacher  must  speak  them  slowly  and  plainly.  Each 
child  should  do  this  work-  correctly,  and,  after  writing 
from  dictation,  should  go  back  over  his  list  of  words  and 
pronounce  it,  before  the  lesson  ends,  either  alone,  or  in 
concert  with  others. 

After  the  first  story  has  been  read,  these  kinds  of  drill 
for  fixing  phonic  values  in  the  memory  are  going  on  daily,- 
at  a  time  removed  from  the  regular  reading  lesson,  which 
concerns  itself  so  far  with  words,  sentences  and  stories.  But 
when  the  children  can  read  a  number  of  pages  from  the 
"Primer"  readily,  the  teacher  begins  to  connect  the  work  in 
phonics  with  the  reading.  A  new  word  is  to  be  taught,  in 
connection  with  picture,  story,  or  nature  lesson,  for  example 
the  word  rabbit.  "I  know,"  she  says,  "that  you  haven't 
seen  me  write  this  word  before,  but  perhaps  you  can  find  it 
out  and  whisper  it  to  me."  And  from  this  point  she 
pushes  and  leads  and  guides  and  encourages  the  children 
to  find  out  things  for  themselves.  It  needs  patience  and 
persistence,  but  it  is  well  worth  the  while.  Two  rules  are 
needed  here  for  the  teacher. 

a.  Very  rarely  do  for  the  children  the  thing  they  can  do 
for  themselves. 

b.  Still  more  rarely  ask  them  to  do  a  thing  they  have  no 
preparation  for  doing. 

3.  A  Guessing  game.  Here  the  teacher  may  introduce 
a  game.     "I  am  thinking  of  a  word  I  want  you  to  guess. 


60  PRIMARY  BEADING  AND  LITERATUKE 

1 11  give  you  a  hint.  It  begins  liks  this, ' '  and  she  gives  the 
sound  of  the  letter  m.  If  the  children  are  slow  to  get  the 
hint  and  guess  at  random,  she  suggests,  "It  might  be 
mine,  men  or  me,  but  it  is  none  of  those — yet  it  begins  as 
they  do.     Listen! — m — "  and  the  children  try  again. 

General  Suggestions 

Have  drills,  bright  and  quick  and  short,  but  frequent. 

Encourage  each  child  to  use  all  the  knowledge  and  power 
he  has  in  finding  out  a  sentence  for  himself,  but  be  respon- 
sible for  furnishing  him  the  needed  power  and  knowledge 
beforehand. 

Do  not  let  children  lose  what  has  once  been  learned,  but 
remember  that  a  thing  has  not  been  learned  with  one  or 
two  presentations — often  not  with  many  presentations. 
Do  not  hesitate  to  repeat,  at  first  for  accuracy,  to  be  sure 
the  symbol  is  associated  with  the  right  sound,  and  then  for 
speed  in  making  that  association. 

Make  the  children  delight  in  independence,  in  finding 
out  for  themselves,  and  so  find  an  early  joy  in  reading. 

By  the  time  the  children  have  finished  the  "Primer," 
they  not  only  have  a  considerable  list  of  words  recognized 
at  sight,  but  are  not  afraid  to  meet  those  they  have  never 
seen  before,  for  they  know  they  can  find  them  out  by  the 
help  of  phonics  and  the  context  of  the  thought. 

Reading  should  by  this  time  have  become  a  pleasure. 
The  fun  of  finding  out  what  a  page  says,  and  then  linger- 
ing over  and  "tasting"  the  thoughts  expressed  appeals 
to  all  normally  constituted  children,  unless  the  thought  is 
unworthy,  or  the  habit  of  independent  reading  poorly 
taught  from  the  beginning.  Worthless  material  destroys 
the  motive  and  kills  the  joy  of  learning  to  read. 


PHONICS  61 

Kinds  of  Lessons 

1.  Study  lessons  with  the  teachers  in  class  time. 

2.  Seat  work  based  upon  the  story  previously  read  with 
the  teacher. 

3.  Silent  reading  based  upon  vocabulary  and  thought 
used  in  the  "Primer,"  but  changing  order  of  words  and 
sentence. 

4.  Oral  lessons  in  reading  for  fluency,  natural  expres- 
sion, etc. 

5.  Lessons  for  quickening  the  pace,  without  mentioning 
speed  to  the  pupil,  in  reading  familiar  material. 

This  idea  of  speed  in  early  reading  may  be  misunder- 
stood. The  aim  is  to  avoid  hesitation  and  drawling.  There 
is  an  equal  danger  that,  as  pupils  gain  in  freedom,  they 
will  fail  in  grouping,  so  essential  to  interpretation  and  ex- 
pression. 

In  all  of  these,  use  is  made  of  phonics  and  word  drills, 
though  most  emphasis  is  placed  upon  the  thought  content 
and  its  expression  in  sentences. 

When  children  are  ready  to  begin  the  First  Reader  they 
should  have  the  ability  to  get  many  new  words  phonetically. 

By  the  end  of  the  First  Grade  pupils  should  have  had 
drills  in  80  phonic  series  and  should  have  power  to  use  the 
phonic  knowledge  gained. 

EXPLANATION  OF  PHONIC  DRILLS 

In  the  foregoing  pages,  from  time  to  time,  suggestions 
have  been  made  as  to  the  time,  place,  and  manner  of  the 
phonic  drills.  It  is  believed,  however,  that  the  summary 
which  follows  will  be  of  distinct  service  to  teachers. 

There  need  be  no  phonic  work  with  the  first  story,  but, 
after  its  completion,  the  drill  with  consonant  elements 
should  begin  and  the  phonic  lessons  should  occur  daily 
thereafter,  through  at  least  the  first  two  grades. 


62  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

While  reading  the  second  story,  the  consonant  work 
should  be  on  r  in  red,  h  in  hen,  p  in  pig,  and  I  in  little. 

While  the  children  are  reading  the  third  story,  the  con- 
sonant drill  is  on  n  in  not,  d  in  dog,  y  in  you,  and  c  in  cat. 
Here  drill  in  the  phonic  series  should  begin,  and  four  of 
these  should  be  done  while  reading  this  story. 

With  the  fourth  story,  the  consonant  lessons  are  with  m  in 
man,  s  in  so,  b  in  but,  and  th  in  then.  At  the  same  time 
there  should  be  drill  in  the  phonic  series  from  5  to  8, 
inclusive. 

The  consonant  work  while  reading  the  fifth  story  is  with 
/  in  fox,  t  in  to,  g  in  get,  and  k  in  kill.  Phonic  series  from 
9  to  12,  inclusive,  should  receive  regular  drill. 

During  the  reading  of  the  sixth  story,  the  phonic  drill 
will  be  with  cr  in  cry,  wh  in  why,  and  qu  in  quench.  Add 
phonic  series  from  13  to  16,  inclusive,  with  reviews  of 
former  series. 

The  consonant  drills  with  the  seventh  story  will  be  with 
ch  in  chicken,  sn  in  snout,  and  sk  in  sky.  Add  to  these  a 
thorough  review  in  all  phonic  series  already  taught. 

While  reading  the  eighth  and  ninth  stories,  the  consonant 
work  will  be  with  gr  in  gruff,  th  in  thank,  and  tr  in  trip. 
Complete  the  series  from  17  to  20  inclusive,  and  give  a 
thorough  review  of  all  previous  phonic  drills,  including 
the  phonic  series  to  20.  When  this  is  done,  the  consonant 
elements  will  have  been  mastered.  It  will  be  noticed  that 
the  consonant  elements  are  taught  from  words  that  have 
been  taught  in  a  former  story.  When  the  Primer  is  com- 
pleted, there  should  have  been  thorough  drill,  also  on  twenty 
of  the  phonic  series. 

Let  it  be  remembered  that  these  phonic  drills  should  be 
short  but  frequent.  In  some  schools  these  drills  are  given 
for  from  two  to  five  minutes  at  a  time,  two  or  three  times 
a  day,  conditions  varying  with  the  size  of  the  class  and  the 


PHONICS  63 

time  at  the  disposal  of  the  teacher.  The  phonic  work, 
whether  the  teacher  uses  the  book  in  the  beginning  or  later, 
should  be  given  as  indicated. 

The  phonic  lessons  to  be  given  with  the  work  of  the  first 
reader  should  cover  sixty  additional  phonic  series,  making 
80  in  all  to  the  end  of  the  first  year. 

The  remaining  120  series  involve  more  difficulty  and 
may  require  more  careful  drill.  If  they  are  not  completed 
by  the  end  of  the  second  year,  they  may  go  over  into  third 
year  work.  But  most  teachers  will  experience  little  diffi- 
culty in  including  all  of  them  in  the  second  year's  work. 

Arrangement  of  the  Series 

In  the  series  from  1  to  33,  inclusive,  the  short  sounds  of 
the  vowels  are  taught.  No  consonant  is  at  any  time  re- 
quired which  has  not  been  already  taught  from  sight  words. 

Next  come  the  series  teaching  the  long  sounds  of  the 
vowels.     These  include  series  34  to  62. 

In  the  reviews  of  these  series  it  will  be  noticed,  that  the 
first  word  of  each  series  is  used.  All  the  words  of  the 
reviews  are  given  as  wholes  and,  in  the  review  drills,  no 
word  should  be  separated  into  its  elements,  unless  pupils 
fail  to  recognize  it  as  a  wThole. 

In  the  first  33  series  it  should  be  observed  that  when  a 
vowel  is  followed  by  a  single  consonant,  the  vowel  has  the 
short  sound.  This  may  be  shown  to  children  but,  in  no 
case  should  this  or  any  other  rule  be  taught  formally  in 
the  first  two  years.  It  may  be  suggested  here  that,  because 
our  language  is  not  phonetic,  few  rules  can  be  made  to 
which  there  may  not  be  exceptions.  But  the  rules  herein 
suggested  are  sufficiently  general  in  their  application  to 
afford  great  aid  in  word  mastery.  The  exceptions  to  the 
rules,  in  most  cases,  may  well  await  the  greater  maturity 
of  children. 


64  PRIMAKY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

In  teaching  the  long  vowels,  it  may  be  shown  that,  if  two 
vowels  have  a  single  consonant  between  them  the  first  vowel 
is  long  and  the  final  vowel  is  silent. 

In  all  of  the  series  to  81  the  soft  sonnd  of  s  is  used,  but 
in  this  series  is  introduced  the  hard  or  z  sound  of  this 
element. 

From  series  62  to  94,  two  consonants  follow  the  same 
vowel.  If  these  have  the  same  values,  but  one  of  them  is 
sounded. 

In  series  68  and  69,  show  that  when  a  consonant  is 
doubled,  but  one  is  sounded. 

In  series  82,  blended  consonants  are  introduced.  A  few 
of  these  have  been  used  in  previous  drills,  but  they  have 
heretofore  occurred  in  sight  words — words  already  known 
to  the  children.  These  blends  are  used  first,  as  initial 
phonograms  and  then  as  final  phonograms. 

In  series  87  may  be  shown  that  t  is  silent  before  ch. 
From  series  95  to  120,  other  consonant  combinations  are 
used,  both  as  initial  and  final  phonograms.  In  all  of  these 
exercises,  the  pupils  should  be  practiced  in  blending  so  that 
the  consonants  blended  may  form  a  single  sound. 

Series  121  to  123  introduces  the  three  sounds  of  y. 

In  series  124  to  128,  inclusive,  ai  and  ay  are  shown  to 
equal  long  a;  and  from  this  time  forward,  other  equiva- 
lents are  used  in  the  series.  Not  all  equivalents  are  here 
used,  but  it  is  believed  that  those  omitted,  for  the  most 
part  will  offer  little  difficulty  after  a  thorough  drill  with 
those  here  given.  In  some  of  the  equivalents  not  here 
given  as  well  as  in  some  of  the  peculiar  and  difficult  sounds 
of  certain  vowels,  a  discrimination  is  required  that  is 
beyond  the  ability  of  children  in  first  and  second  grades. 

From  series  129  to  138,  ea  equals  long  e.  From  139  to 
145  ee  equals  long  e.  In  146,  ie  equals  long  i.  From  147 
to  150,  oa  equals  long  o,  and  152  shows  ue  equal  to  long  u. 


PHONICS  65 

In  153  and  154,  i  is  long  when  followed  by  Id,  nd  or  gh. 
Series  156  shows  o  long  in  some  other  combinations.  Series 
157  to  159  giw  drills  with  OW,  and  from  160  to  16.">,  au  is 
shown  to  equal  OW,  and  in  167  ou  is  equal  to  long  o. 

In  series  168,  final  er  is  shown.  This  list  may  be  used, 
also,  to  show  plurals  by  adding  s.  Series  169  and  170  use 
the  ing  termination. 

In  171,  gn  equals  n;  in  172,  kn  equals  n;  in  173,  wr 
equals  r;  in  174,  gu  equals  g;  in  175,  bu  equals  b;  in  176, 
bt  equals  t,  and  177  shows  mb  equal  to  m. 

Series  178  and  179  show  that  when  one  consonant  is  used 
between  two  vowels,  the  first  vowel  is  long,  and  that  when 
two  consonants  are  so  used,  the  first  vowel  is  short. 

From  series  181  to  200  are  taught  the  following  equiva- 
lents: ea  equals  short  e,  ea  equals  long  a,  ed  equals  t,  ei 
equals  long  a,  ie  equals  long  e,  eigh  equals  long  a,  cy  equals 
long  a.  Also  oo  is  taught  in  both  values.  Series  191  shows 
that  when  r  is  used  before  u  the  vowel  is  long.  Also,  u  is 
equal  to  oo  short,  oi  equals  oy,  g  equals  j  before  e,  i  and  y, 
c  is  equal  to  soft  s  when  used  before  i,  e  and  y,  dj  equals  j, 
ph  equals  /  and  gh  equals  /. 


1 

r  ed 

b  ed 

i;  ed 

1  ed 

N  ed 

2 

h  en 

d  en 

p  en 

m  en 

B  en 

3 

c  at 

f  at 

h  at 

r  at 

m  at 

s  at 

4 

c  an 

D  an 

f  an 

r  an 

p  an 

5 

n  ot 

d  ot 

g  ot 

c  ot 

p  ot 

j  ot 

h  ot 

15 

r  i 
d  i 
s  i 
n  i 


PHONIC  SERIES 

6  10  14 

s  ob  f  ill  n  et 

b  ob  r  ill  p  et 

r  ob 
c  ob 
f  ob 
j  ob 
m  ob 

7 

P  ig 

b  ig 
r  ig 
d  ig 

3  ig 
w  ig 

8 
ox 
b  ox 
f  ox 

9 

it 
w  it 
s  it 
b  it 
p  it 
f  it  h  id  f 

m  it  A  P 

k 
10 

w  ill 
t  ill 
b  ill 
s  ill 

66 


10 

f  ill 

r  ill 

k  ill 

h  ill 

m  ill 

p  ill 

11 

d  og 

b  og 

h  og 

c  og 

f  og 

j  og 

12 

c  ut 

n  ut 

r  ut 

b  ut 

h  ut 

13 

d  id 

1  id 

b  id 

k  id 

h  id 

14 

m  et 

s  et 

g  et 

b  et 

1  et 

j  et 

17 


67 

33 

p  od 
h  od 
s  od 
n  od 

34 

b  e 
m  e 

h  e 
th  e 
sh  e 
w  e 

35 

m  ake 
b  ake 

sh  ake 
c  ake 
t  ake 
f  ake 
r  ake 

m  ake 
s  ake 
1  ake 

36 
b  ee 
f  ee 
s  ee 
1  ee 
tr  ee 

37 

t  old 
c  old 
b  old 
h  old 
g  old 
f  old 
a  old 
m  old 


r  ap 

c  ap 

g  ap 

1  ap 

n  ap 

t  ap 

m  ap 

s  ap 

20 

p  ad 

b  ad 

1  ad 

s  ad 

m  ad 

h  ad 

f  ad 

g  ad 

21 

1  eg 

P  eg 

b  eg 

k  eg 

22 

lip 

t  ip 

d  ip 

r  ip 

h  ip 

s  ip 

n  ip 

23 

m  ud 

b  ad 

24 

b  ug 

r  ug 

d  ug 

PHONICS 

24 

32 

P  ug 

f  ix 

m  ug 

s  ix 

h  ug 

m  ix 

t  ug 

Rev i'  ti- 

25 

t  ub 
h  ub 

red 
hen 
cat 

r  ub 

man 
not 

26 

sob 

am 

Pig 

S  am 

ox 

h  am 

it 

j  am 

will 

27 
c  ob 

s  ob 
m  ob 

r  ob 

dog 
cut 
did 
met 
run 
tin 

28 

pup 

r  ag 
w  ag 
b  ag 
t  ag 
s  ag 

rap 

pad 

leg 

lip 

bug 

mud 

29 

tub 

ax 

am 

t  ax 

cob 

w  ax 

rag 

ax 

30 

cab 

c  ab 

him 

t  ab 

fix 

31 

rod 

h  fan 

33 

d  im 

r  od 

r  im 

G  od 

68 


PEIMAEY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 


38 

44 

51 

59 

g  ° 

c  ape 

g  ale 

b  ase 

s  0 

t  ape 

p  ale 

c  ase 

n  o 

s  ale 

v  ase 

45 

t  ale 

39 

b  ite 
k  ite 
s  ite 

m  ade 

60 

w  ade 

52 

c  ave 

f  ade 

p  ole 
m  ole 

w  ave 
g  ave 

46 

h  ole 

s  ave 

m  ite 

h  ide 
w  ide 

s  ole 

p  ave 

40 

b  ide 

53 

61 

g  oat 

t  ide 

t  une 

m  ile 

m  oat 

r  ide 

J  une 

p  ile 

c  oat 
fl  oat 

s  ide 

54 

t  ile 
f  ile 

b  oat 

47 

p  lire 

62 

d  ime 

c  ure 

f  ire 
w  ire 

41 

t  ime 

55 

c  ane 

1  ime 

m  ule 

h  ire 

p  ane 
m  ane 

48 

m  ute 

t  ire 

f  ine 

56 

63 

42 

p  ine 

c  ore 

c  ore 

ate 

d  ine 

t  ore 

s  ore 

d  ate 

n  ine 

s  ore 

w  ore 

r  ate 

w  ine 

m  ore 

m  ore 

f  ate 

m  ine 

w  ore 

m  ate 

1  ine 

57 

Review 

g  ate 
1  ate 

49 

1  ope 

be 
make 

h  ate 

r  ode 
c  ode 

c  ope 
d  ope 

bee 
told 

43 

m  ode 

r  ope 

go 

s  ame 
t  ame 

50 

m  ope 
h  ope 

bite 
goat 

c  ame 

n  ote 

58 

cane 

n  ame 

c  ote 

r  age 

ate 

f  ame 

d  ote 

P  age 

same 

1  ame 

m  ote 

c  age 

cape 

g  ame 

r  ote 

s  age 

made 

1\(  )'!<  w 

hide 

dime 

fine 

rode 

note 

gale 

pole 

tune 

pure 

mule 

core 

lope 

rage 

base 

cave 

mile 

fire 

core 

63 
b  ack 
1  ack 
p  ack 
t  ack 
s  ack 

64 
n  eck 
d  eck 


65 

s  ick 
ick 
ick 
ick 
ick 


66 

r  ock 
1  ock 


PHONICS 

67 

73 

d  uck 

m  int 

1  uck 

1  int 

b  uck 

74 

68 

r  est 

s  ell 

v  est 

N  ell 

t  est 

t  ell 

w  est 

b  ell 

b  est 

w  ell 

n  est 

f  eU 

75 

69 

f  ist 

p  uff 
r  uff 

m  ist 
1  ist 

c  uff 

76 

b  uff 

r  ust 

m  uff 

m  ust 

j  ust 

70 
and 
h  and 

d  ust 

77 

s  and 

c  amp 

1  and 

1  amp 

b  and 

d  amp 

71 

end 

78 
b  ump 

m  end 

p  ump 

b  end 

j  ump 

s  end 

d  ump 

1  ump 

72 

79 

b  ent 

f  elt 

s  ent 

b  elt 

r  ent 

w  elt 

w  ent 

m  elt 

t  ent 

80 

73 

gift 

t  int 

s  ift 

h  int 

1  ift 

69 

Review 

back 

neck 

sick 

rock 

duck 

sell 

and 

end 

bent 

tint 

rest 

fist 

rust 

camp 

bump 

felt 

gift 

81 
is 

h  is 
as 

h  as 
p  ins 
r  ugs 
r  ose 

r  ise 
n  ose 
w  ise 

82 
wh  en 
\vh  at 
wh  ile 
wh  o 
wh  ite 
wh  ole 
wh  ine 
wh  ich 
wh  ere 
wh  ip 


70 


PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 


83 
cr  y 
cr  ape 
er  ew 
cr  ime 
cr  ate 
cr  ow 
cr  umb 

84 
gr  and 
gr  ave 
gr  ip 
gr  ill 
gr  it 
gr  in 
gr  ow 
gr  ew 
gr  een 
gr  ound 

85 
ch  ick 
ch  oke 
ch  op 
ch  at 
ch  in 
ch  ase 
ch  ill 
ch  ap 
ch  afe 

86 
p  nn  ch 
b  en  ch 
b  un  ch 
1  un  ch 

87 

D  utch 

b  otch 

n  otch 


87 
p  itch 
w  itch 
d  itch 
h  itch 
c  atch 
m  atch 
p  atch 
1  atch 
h  atch 

88 
m  uch 
s  uch 
r  ich 

89 
sh  ape 
sh  am 
sh  ell 
sh  elf 
sh  ed 
sh  ip 
sh  ine 
sh  un 
sh  ut 
sh  ot 
sh  one 
sh  ore 
sh  ave 
sh  all 
sh  ade 
sh  ake 

90 

ash 
s  ash 
d  ash 
1  ash 
c  ash 
m  ash 
f  ish 


90 

d  ish 
w  ish 
r  ush 

91 
th  ick 
th  in 
th  ump 

92 
w  id  th 
t  en  th 

93 
th  e 
th  en 
th  em 
th  an 
th  at 
th  us 
th  ese 
th  ose 
th  is 
th  ine 

94 

b  athe 

w  ith 

Review 

is 

when 

cry 

grand 

chick 

punch 

Dutch 

shape 

much 

ash 

thick 

tenth 

throb 


Review 

thr  ob 

thr  ift 

thr  ill 

thr  one 

thr  ash 

thr  ush 

thr  ive 

thr  ust 

95 

bl  ed 

bl  ade 

bl  ack 

bl  ess 

bl  ame 

bl  ot 

bl  ock 

bl  aze 

bl  unt 

bl  ush 

96 

cl  od 

cl  ose 

cl  ove 

cl  ock 

cl  am 

cl  ap 

cl  ick 

cl  uck 

cl  ip 

cl  ub 

97 

fl  at 

fl  ag 

fl  ake 

fl  ame 

fl  ash 

fl  ock 

fl  op 

97 
fl  it 
fl  ax 

98 
gl  ad 
gl  ide 
gl  aze 
gl  obe 

99 
pi  an 
pi  ant 
pi  ate 
pi  ush 
pi  ume 
pi  am 
pi  ot 

100 

sp  an 

sp  ade 

sp  in 

sp  end 

sp  ill 

sp  ell 

sp  ine 

sp  ot 

sp  oke 

sp  un 

sp  ite 

sp  ike 

sp  ire 

101 
br  ag 
br  an 
br  ake 
br  ave 
br  im 
br  ick 
br  ide 


PHONICS 

101 

106 

br  ine 

r  isk 

br  oke 

br  isk 

br  ush 

t  usk 

d  usk 

102 

h  usk 

cr  ab 

m  usk 

cr  ib 

cr  ock 

107 

cr  ack 

dr  op 

cr  ate 

dr  ag 

cr  ane 

dr  ug 

cr  amp 

dr  ip 

cr  imp 

dr  ill 

cr  op 

dr  ift 

cr  ust 

dr  ive 

cr  ush 

dr  ove 

cr  ept 

dr  one 

103 

dr  ape 

s  cr  ap 
scr  ub 

dr  ess 
dr  um 

scr  ape 
scr  atch 

108 

fr  et 

104 

fr  esh 

sc  ore 

Fr  ench 

sc  um 

fr  ill 

sc  at 

fr  isk 

sc  amp 

fr  og 

sc  ale 

fr  om 

Sc  otch 

fr  oze 

fr  ame 

105 

fr  ock 

sk  in 

sk  im 

109 

sk  ip 

pr  int 

sk  iff 

pr  ide 

sk  ill 

pr  ize 

sk  ull 

pr  op 

sk  ate 

pr  ose 

sk  etch 

pr  ess 

71 


110 

tr  ap 

tr  act 

tr  ack 

tr  ash 

tr  amp 

tr  ade 

tr  ip 

tr  im 

tr  ill 

tr  ick 

tr  ot 

tr  od 

tr  uck 

111 

s  tr  ap 

str  ip 

str  ipe 

str  ive 

str  ict 

str  ike 

str  ide 

str  oke 

str  etch 

112 

st  ab 

st  ep 

st  em 

st  ack 

st  and 

st  ate 

st  ump 

st  ale 

st  ake 

st  iff 

st  ilt 

st  ill 

st  ick 

st  one 

st  ove 

72 


PEIMAEY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 


112 

117 

Review 

124 

st  op 

sn  iff 

drop 

aid 

st  itch 

sn  ipe 

fret 

p  aid 

st  ub 

sn  are 

print 

braid 

st  uck 

trap 

maid 

st  Tiff 

118 

strap 

st  ore 

sw  am 

stab 

125 

st  ole 

sw  im 

taste 

ail 

st  ump 

sw  um 

smell 

p  ail 

sw  ept 

snap 

hail 

113 

sw  ift 

swam 

fail 

t  aste 

sw  ine 

twist 

nail 

p  aste 

quench 

rail 

b  aste 

119 

sail 

w  aste 

tw  ist 

121 

bail 

114 

tw  ins 
tw  ine 

y  es 
yet 
yell 

126 

1  est 
cr  est 

tw  ig 
tw  itch 

aim 
maim 

ch  est 
bl  est 

115 

120 
qu  ench 
qu  ick 

122 
H  en  ny 
m  er  ry 

claim 
127 

tr  ust 

cr  ust 

r  ust 

qu  ack 
qu  it 
qu  ite 

c  and  y 
k   it   ty 
p  en  ny 

r  ain 

train 
brain 

116 

qu  ill 
qu  ilt 

s  un  ny 
f  un  ny 

grain 
strain 

sm  ell 

c   ar   ry 

pain 

sm  elt 
sm  ile 

Review 
bled 

j    ol    ly 

plain 
chain 

sm  ith 
sm  ash 

clod 
flat 

123 

cr  y 

128 

sm  ack 

glad 

my 

h  ay 

sm  oke 

plan 

dry 

pay 

span 

sly 

say 

117 

brag 

spy 

way 

sn  ap 

crab 

sky 

may 

sn  ag 

scrap 

shy 

play 

sn  ug 

score 

fly 

stay 

sn  ake 

skin 

why 

stray 

sn  uff 

brisk 

thy 

pray 

PHONICS 

73 

129 

135 

142 

148 

t  ea 

tear 

s  een 

oak 

s  ea 

near 

keen 

soak 

p  ea 

hear 

green 

cloak 

130 

clear 

queen 

149 

ea  ch 

136 

143 
k  eep 

oat 

p  each 
reach 

ea  st 
beast 

goat 
coat 

teach 
131 

feast 
137 

steep 
deep 
peep 

float 
throat 

w  eak 

eat 

sheep 

150 

leak 

meat 

sleep 

oar 
roar 

peak 

beat 

creep 

speak 

neat 

sweep 

soar 

streak 

seat 

hoarse 

sneak 
squeak 

heat 
138 

144 

f  eet 

coarse 
board 

132 

h  eal 

pi  ea  se 
tease 

meet 
beet 

toast 
roast 

seal 
steal 

ea  sy 

sweet 
greet 

coast 
boast 

meal 
squeal 

139 
s  ee  d 
feed 

street 
145 

151 

t  oe 

133 

need 

fr  eeze 

foe 

dr  earn 

deed 

sneeze 

woe 

team 

weed 

breeze 

hoe 

stream 
steam 

bl  eed 

squeeze 

152 

134 

140 

w  eek 

146 

d  ie 
tie 
hie 

d  ue 
cue 

b  ean 

ch  eek 

hue 

mean 
lean 

creek 

sue 

clean 

141 

lie 

153 

f  eel 

w  ild 

135 

heel 

147 

child 

ear 

peel 

t  oad 

bind 

fear 

reel 

load 

blind 

dear 

steel 

road 

grind 

74 


PEIMAKY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 


153 
mind 
kind 
find 

154 

s  igh 

s  igh  t 

r  ight 

bright 

flight 

fight 
might 

tight 

night 

155 

old 

h  old 

gold 

cold 

scold 

mold 

sold 

156 

roll 

toll 

troll 

stroll 

post 

most 

bolt 

jolt 

colt 

pork 

porch 

both 

forth 

157 
c  ow 
now 


157 

bow 

how 

row 

plow 

mow 

158 

ow  1 

h  owl 

growl 

fowl 

159 

t  ow  n 

down 

gown 

drown 

brown 

crown 

160 
ouch 
p  ouch 

couch 
crouch 

slouch 

161 

1  oud 

proud 

cloud 

162 

f  ound 

pound 

round 

ground 

mound 

bound 

sound 

wound 


163 

167 

our 

f  our 

s  our 

court 

flour 

course 

pour 

164 

m  ouse 
house 

168 
flow  er 

blouse 

winter 

sister 

165 

rubber 

out 

better 

p  out 

timber 

spout 

pitcher 

sprout 

deeper 

trout 

hammer 

stout 

older 

shout 

colder 

south 

dinner 

mouth 

rocker 

painter 

166 

summer 

1  ow 

169 

flow 

glow 

bow 

blow 

s  ing 

king 

ring 

string 

row 

sling 

grow 

wing 

crow 

swing 

mow 

thing 

snow 
show 

bring 

throw 

170 

bowl 

jump  ing 

own 

resting 

sown 

running 

mown 

rubbing 

blown 

helping 

flown 

adding 

grown 

wishing 

170 

swinging 

trying 

playing 

reading 

lu  view 

yes 

Henny 

cry 

aid 

ail 

aim 

rain 

hay 

each 

weak 

heal 

dream 

bean 

ear 

east 

please 

freeze 

die 

toad 

oak 

oat 

oar 

toe 

due 

wild 

sigh 

right 

owl 

town 

pouch 

loud 

found 

sour 

mouse 


PHONICS 

5 

Review 

176 

pout 

de  bt 

low 

doubt 

four 

flower 

177 

jumping 

li  mb 

171 

comb 

gn  at 
gnash 
sign 

numb 

thumb 
plumb 
lamb 

172 

kn  it 

178 

knife 

holy 

knight 

holly 

knot 

later 

knob 

latter 

knee 

filing 

kneel 
know 
knack 
knock 

filling 
pining 
pinning 
mating 

173 

matting 

wr  en 

summer 

wrench 

carry 

wreck 

wrap 

179 

write 

silver 

wring 

velvet 

wrist 

window 

sister 

174 
gu  ide 

picnic 

guest 

180 

guess 

hero 

rogue 
plague 

story 
baker 

175 

music 

bu  y 

duty 

build 

zero 

75 

180 
paper 
gravy 

Review 

gnat 

knit 

wren 

guide 

buy 

debt 

limb 

holy 

silver 

181 
h  ead 
read 
tread 
deaf 
bread 
meant 
sweat 
wealth 

182 
tint  ed 
jolted 
seated 
wicked 
graded 
coasted 
mended 

183 
gr  ea  t 
steak 
break 

184 

bak  ed 
ticked 


76 


PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 


184 

190 

195 

198 

choked 

t   00 

oi  1 

bridge 

liked 

tool 

boil 

dodge 

packed 

roof 

soil 

lodge 

milked 

proof 

toil 

judge 

puffed 

stool 

coin 

185 

food 
loose 

join 
noise 

199 

v  ei  n 

goose 

phonics 
i    

veil 

shoot 

196 

orphan 

1      T~    ,_ 

rein 

choose 

ice 

sulphur 

skein 

nice 

cipher 

191 

price 

elepham 

186 

rule 

lace 

alphabei 

gr  ie  f 

truth 

face 

thief 

prune 

race 

200 

yield 

true 

fence 

rough 

shield 

rude 

since 

laugh 

chief 

piece 

cough 

brief 

192 

niece 

trough 

gr  ew 

voice 

tough 

187 

flew 

city 

Review 

eigh  t 

threw 

spicy 

head 

weight 

crew 

juicy 

tinted 

weigh 

drew 

great 

reign 

197 

baked 

sleigh 

193 

age 

vein 

freight 

g  oo  d 

rage 

hood 

sage 

Review 

188 

stood 

page 

grief 

th  ey 

hook 

cage 

eight 

prey 

wool 

range 

they 

whey 

look 

strange 

roared 

danger 

rule 

189 

194 

manger 

grew 

roar  ed 

put 

oil 

prayed 

pull 

198 

ice 

snowed 

puss 

edge 

age 

cleaned 

push 

hedge 

edge 

soured 

full 

pledge 

phonics 

crowed 

bush 

ridge 

rough 

FOLK  TALES 
Origin  and  Transmission 

The  Primer  offers  nine  folk  tales;  the  First 
Reader,  thirteen;  and  the  Second  Reader,  eight  or 
ten  more.  It  might  be  well  to  inquire  immediately, 
therefore,  what  folk  tales  are,  and  why  they  appeal 
to  all  children  and  to  grown  persons  likewise.  As 
the  prefaces  to  the  Readers  assert,  these  folk  tales 
here  given  are  the  literary  products  of  many  minds, 
and  have  survived  the  centuries.  It  is  a  mistake, 
however,  to  believe  that  the  making  and  transmis- 
sion of  folk  tales  is  a  process  only  of  the  past. 
Wherever  mothers  or  nurses  or  teachers  tell  and 
retell  stories  to  children,  folk  tales  are  growing  up, 
expanding,  changing. 

Of  universal  interest.  There  is  to-day  a  science 
of  folk-lore.  Great  scholars  study  the  simple  stories 
•of  the  people  as  they  study  other  evidences  of  past 
belief  and  present  custom;  for  what  has  amused 
mankind  continuously  for  long  periods,  they  argue, 
must  have  in  it  the  essence  of  man's  thinking.  The 
growth  and  dissemination  of  folk  stories  is  a  phe- 

This  section  of  the  book  was  written  by  Dr.  Harriott  Ely  Fansler, 
Columbia  University,  New  York. 

77 


.78  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

nomenon  of  importance.  The  popularity  of  the 
narratives  is  no  more  a  fact  of  the  past  than  eating 
is.  The  form  of  what  we  eat  and  the  way  we  eat 
it  may  have  changed  from  time  to  time,  but  the 
elemental  food-stuffs  remain  the  same.  Man's 
nature  craves  them,  and  when  it  gets  them  they 
prove  satisfying.  We  need  not  be  surprised  that 
the  natural  man,  the  child,  and  the  jaded  epicure 
alike  find  folk  stories  pleasing.  They  are  elemental 
food.  But  not  to  carry  the  figure  too  far,  and  simply 
bearing  in  mind  the  fact  brought  out  by  it,  let  us  go 
back  to  inquire  what  a  folk  tale  really  is,  and  along 
with  general  impressions  gather  a  few  specific  dis- 
tinctions. Since  a  science  of  folk-lore  exists,  for  a 
student  who  wishes  to  understand  these  stories, 
there  is  a  nomenclature  to  be  learned,  a  set  of  defini- 
tions to  be  borne  in  mind,  a  history  to  be  glanced 
at,  some  great  names  to  be  remembered. 

What  are  folk  tales?  A  folk  tale  is  a  story  that 
grows  up  among  a  people,  or  folk,  around  an  idea 
either  originated  or  adopted  by  the  folk.  The  earli- 
est form  is  always  of  an  oral  nature  if  not  actually 
oral,  and  its  usual  transmission — a  far  more  impor- 
tant fact  than  source — is  oral.  To-day,  despite  our 
many  books  and  newspapers,  folk  tales  circulate 
orally.  Our  favorite  narratives  we  seldom  if  ever 
saw  in  print  when  we  were  children,  although  they 
were  in  print  no  doubt  before  we  were  born.  Our 
mothers,  or  nurses,  or  big  sisters,  or  teachers,  told 


FOLK  TALES  79 

us  the  stories  first,  even  if  we  read  them  later.  The 
delight  of  the  reading  was  no  less  but  greater  be- 
cause of  the  familiarity.  The  phrases  on  the  pages 
seemed  to  be  of  the  very  structure  of  our  thinking. 
Hence  the  delight. 

How  they  grow.  It  is  said  that  a  folk  story 
1  'grows  up"  because  no  one  seems  to  know  who 
first  starts  such  a  narrative  on  its  way,  or  be- 
cause the  later  versions  because  of  oral  repetitions 
vary  among  themselves  and  are  each  different  from 
the  earlier,  and  because  the  story  represents  com- 
mon folk  thinking.  Eight  here  it  might  be  well  to 
preclude  confusion.  Everyone  recognizes  a  possi- 
ble double  meaning  in  the  word  ' i  folk  tale ' ' ;  namely, 
that  of  "tale  composed  by  the  folk"  or  simply  that 
of  "tale  told  among  the  folk,"  even  though  it  may 
have  been  originally  a  translation  or  importation. 

The  distinction  may  have  a  meaning  and  it  may 
not.  If  the  first  definition  is  understood  to  imply 
that  a  whole  folk  instantly  and  collectively  composes 
a  piece  of  literature  without  the  intervention  of 
individuals,  the  definition  becomes  nonsense.  Or 
if  it  is  understood  to  imply  that  a  piece  composed 
by  one  man  or  one  woman  or  one  child  might  not 
become  loved  by  the  folk  as  a  whole,  taken  to  their 
hearts,  told  and  retold  among  them,  become  a  part 
of  their  household  thinking — in  other  words,  might 
not  become  to  them  and  through  them  a  real  folk 
tale — then,    too,   the   distinction   is   nonsense.      In 


80  PKIMAEY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

fact,  all  that  is  needed  is  time.  It  is  because  the 
world  has  forgotten  the  authors  of  our  best  folk 
tales  that  we  cannot  mention  them.  Because  we  can 
mention  Perrault,  however,  our  common  version  of 
Cinderella  is  no  less  a  folk  tale.  That  the  process 
of  story-making  was  any  different  in  the  days  of 
Rameses  II  from  what  it  is  now,  except  for  the 
facility  of  reproduction  and  transmission,  a  think- 
ing man  cannot  believe.  Human  nature  has  not  so 
changed  in  three  thousand  years.  We  have  but  to 
look  about  us  to  know  the  folk  story  process.  We 
have  but  to  read  history  to  verify  our  understanding 
of  it. 

Length  of  life.  But  when  we  look  about  us  we 
must  remember  that  the  process  we  are  investigat- 
ing is  essentially  an  oral  process,  that  the  stories 
we  are  investigating  are  living  things  that  change 
so  long  as  they  live.  When  they  have  ceased  to 
change,  they  have  ceased  to  live  as  folk  stories. 
Some  may  linger  on,  perhaps,  as  grim  ghosts  of 
departed  literature  or  be  found  on  shelves  as  mum- 
mies of  antiquity.  But  actually  a  good  folk  tale 
is  both  as  eternal  and  as  changeable  as  the  folk  that 
tells  it;  indeed,  an  excellent  story  always  over- 
passes locality  and  country — even  more  than  a  virile 
folk  overpasses.  For  this  reason,  if  for  no  other, 
children  have  a  right  to  hear  and  to  read  folk  tales; 
most  of  them  are  a  rich  heritage  and  an  everlasting 
possession.     The  rude  common  sense  as  well  as  the 


FOLK  TALES  81 

nonsense  of  the  ancients  and  the  moderns  is  stored 
in  them. 

How  originated.  Any  set  of  events,  actual  or 
imaginary,  occurring  anywhere,  may  become  a  folk 
story  after  undergoing  the  folk  story  process.  The 
immediate  handing  down  is  very  simple.  It  is 
easily  explained  by  a  household  fact.  A  new 
mother  naturally  tells  the  favorite  narrative  her 
mother  told  her  when  she  was  a  child.  The  stories 
pass  on  down  the  generations,  and  become  in  time 
traditional,  current  among  a  large  family,  a  village, 
perhaps  a  whole  folk  finally.  When  the  narrator 
has  a  larger  audience  than  immediate  kin,  the  diffu- 
sion is  much  faster.  If  the  new  mother  came  from 
a  neighboring  or  a  foreign  people,  how  the  stream 
of  family  tradition  is  enriched!  The  word  "tradi- 
tion" is  a  simple  word  and  does  not  necessarily 
belong  to  scholars.  Any  particular  story,  belief,  or 
usage  handed  down  becomes  a  tradition. 

Link  ages  and  people.  A  number  of  folk  stories, 
like  the  Cinderella  and  the  Sleeping  Beauty  narra- 
tives, have  lived  longer  than  the  races  that  now 
cherish  them.  "It  is  certain,"  says  Andrew  Lang, 
"that  the  best-known  popular  tales  were  current  in 
Egypt  under  Rameses  II,  and  that  many  of  them 
were  known  to  Homer,  and  are  introduced  or  alluded 
to  in  the  Odyssey."1     This   is  a  lovely  thought, 

i  Perrault  's  Popular  Tales,  edited  with  an  Introduction  by  Andrew 
Lang,  Oxford,  1888,  page  cxiv. 


82  PRIMARY  BEADING  AND  LITERATURE 

because  it  makes  the  solidarity  of  the  human  race 
a  more  vivid  fact.  The  small  child  in  the  class- 
room in  America  to-day,  with  perfect  .confidence, 
puts  his  hand  into  the  brown  palm  of  the  great 
king  of  Egypt,  and  enjoys  with  him  the  old,  old 
stories — stories  no  doubt  old  to  his  people  then,  a 
thousand  years  or  more  before  the  Christian  era. 

It  is  essential  to  folk  tale  that  the  appeal  be  uni- 
versal, although  national  peculiarities  are  apparent 
in  the  versions.  Sainte-Beuve  has  reminded  us  that 
had  we  inherited  no  such  tales,  and  had  we  started 
to  tell  stories  in  the  nursery  in  full  civilization,  the 
incidents  of  Puss  in  Boots  would  not  have  been 
invented.  Sainte-Beuve  is  right,  but  he  has  re- 
minded us  only  of  the  fact  that  folk  stories  are 
made  out  of  known  elements  or  similar  elements. 
So  is  everything  else. 

Place  of  origin  uncertain.  The  idea  of  the  per- 
sistence of  the  same  story  has  proved  extremely 
fascinating  to  scholars.  It  has  called  out  a  long 
line  of  inquirers,  who  have  kept  themselves  busy 
for  a  century  at  least.  There  is  nothing  very 
mysterious  about  the  matter,  however,  but  just 
something  materially  difficult — the  discovery  of  reli- 
able records  and  evidence.  Indications  there  are 
a-plenty,  but  proofs  that  this  locality  instead  of  that 
gave  rise  to  a  particular  story  are  hard  to  find.  And 
that  one  locality  and  only  one  was  the  cradle  of  all 
marchen,  or  popular  tales,  is  a  still  harder  thesis,  as 


FOLK  TALES  83 

its  advocates  have  learned  by  reason  of  their  many 
doughty  opponents.  When  we  know  where  the  first 
acorn  or  the  first  oak  tree  came  from,  perhaps  we 
can  answer  the  question  as  to  where  the  first  folk 
tale,  or  the  first  version  of  a  given  folk  tale,  origin- 
ated. Until  the  scholars  have  brought  that  time 
about,  we  must  content  ourselves  with  the  knowl- 
edge that  individualized  versions  spring  up  and 
flourish  for  a  century  or  two  and  then  die,  or  lose 
their  identity,  but  that  the  form  and  general  content 
of  folk  tales  go  on  forever. 

Variation.  A  common  condition  connected  with 
the  oral  transmission  of  even  our  best-established 
stories  is  variation.  Minute  particulars  are  seldom 
transmitted  orally.  They  are  left  out  or  created 
spontaneously  under  local  inspiration.  Only  the 
large  central  events  that  make  one  tale  recognizable 
as  itself  and  not  another,  remain  the  same.  And 
sometimes  even  the  events  change  and  shift  and 
nothing  but  the  motif,  or  central  idea,  stays  fixed. 
The  simplicity  of  the  versions  of  the  folk  tales  in 
primers  and  first  readers  is  consequent  upon  this 
fact  of  the  adaptability  to  audiences.  On  the  other 
hand, — and  here  is  a  psychological  truth  that  all 
good  narrators  take  advantage  of, — striking  and 
charming  peculiarities  of  style  or  utterance  often 
persist  even  though  they  may  be  connected  with 
only  minor  details.  Mothers  and  teachers  know 
how  the  big  voice  or  the  little  voice  at  the  expected 


84  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

place  in  an  oral  narrative  is  demanded  by  the  ex- 
perienced listener,  and  how  the  occurrence  of  the 
emphasis  favorite  with  other  children  seldom  fails 
to  delight  the  novice.  Crude  rhythm,  rhymes,  and 
repetition  of  situation  are  all  aids  to  oral  delivery, 
and  in  our  ancient  stories  are  evidence  of  it.  They 
are  aids  both  to  the  narrator  and  to  the  listener. 
They  make  memory  easy  on  the  part  of  the  one 
and  attention  easy  on  the  part  of  the  other.  Kepe- 
tition  of  situation  permits  extension  also,  which  is 
a  delight  to  both  the  narrator  and  the  listener  when 
a  good  folk  tale  is  going.  Hence  often  the  end  of 
one  story  is  added  to  that  of  another. 

Before  we  look  at  the  stories  themselves  and  assort 
them  to  their  types,  we  should  note  at  some  length 
how  they  were  got  together  and  who  it  was  that  did 
the  work. 

Charles  Perrault 

(1628-1703) 

Charles  Perrault,  a  Frenchman,  was  one  of  the 
first  of  the  moderns  to  create  an  art  interest  in  folk 
tales;  and  he  created  it  by  the  very  simple  process 
of  retelling  the  stories.  He  presented  to  the  public 
(1694-1697),  in  charming  and  simple  prose  form, 
eight  household  narratives  taken  down  from  oral 
recitation.  He  sent  them  first  as  contributions  to  a 
small  magazine  published  at  The  Hague,  called 
Moetjen's  Recueil  (Miscellany),  then  later  put  them 


FOLK  TALES  85 

out   as  a  book  bearing  his   son's  name,  Perrault 
Dermancour. 

In  the  hall  of  fame.  At  the  time  that  he  began 
to  publish  the  stories  of  the  people,  Charles  Perrault 
was  a  member  of  the  royal  academy  under  Louis 
XIV,  and  was  the  noted  hero  of  the  great  Battle  of 
the  Books,  which  the  critics  had  been  waging  for 
ten  years  over  a  remark  of  Perrault  's  in  a  poem  read 
by  him  before  the  Academy  in  1684.  As  a  result 
of  the  poem  and  the  controversy,  Perrault  had  be- 
come recognized  as  the  champion  of  the  moderns; 
and  Boileau,  properly  enough,  the  champion  of  the 
ancients.  Perrault  in  his  poem  entitled  The  Age  of 
Louis  XIY  had  found  fault  with  the  Odyssey  for 
containing  "old  wive's  fables/ '  and  had  said  that 
Homer  would  have  written  better  had  he  had  the 
good  fortune  to  be  born  under  Louis  XIV.  Boileau 
had  angrily  declared  Perrault  's  poem  an  insult  to 
the  great  men  of  past  times,  and  had  begun  taking 
revenge  in  their  name  by  writing  epigrams  on  Per- 
rault. Thus  the  war  continued  and  spread  to  other 
countries.  Some  members  of  the  Academy  took 
Boileau 's  side  in  the  controversy,  some  Perrault's. 
Racine,  mild  man  that  he  was,  pretended  not  to 
think  Perrault  in  earnest ;  but  Perrault  continued  to 
uphold  his  arguments,  and  to  make  fun  of  persons 
who  think  it  a  fine  thing  "to  publish  old  books  with 
a  great  many  notes.' '  In  the  crisis  of  the  contro- 
versy Perrault  wrote  what  he  imagined  would  be 


86  PEIMAEY  BEADING  AND  LITEEATUEE 

his  monument  of  immortality,  The  Comparison  of 
the  Ancients  and  the  Moderns  (1688-1694)  and 
Eulogies  of  Illustrious  Men  of  the  Age  of  Louis 
XIV  (1703).  But  these  have  not  proved  to  be  his 
monument.  Men  do  not  to-day  read  lengthy, 
argumentative  poems  on  the  foolish  subject  of 
which  is  better,  the  moderns  or  the  ancients;  but 
all  the  world  reads  Perrault's  versions  of  tra- 
ditional popular  stories,  his  "Mother  Goose's 
Tales.' ' 

Old  tales  made  new.  These  stories  are  usually 
called  "fairy  tales,"  though  Perrault  did  not  call 
them  fairy  tales,  but  "Stories,  or  Tales  of  Past 
Time."  And  that  is  what  they  are,  as  we  shall  see 
— folk  nursery  sagas.  Perrault  felt  the  common 
folk  tone  of  the  pieces,  and  acknowledged  it  and 
defended  it,  although  he  did  not  realize  the  great 
antiquity  of  what  he  was  retelling  or  the  ultimate 
significance  of  the  preservation.  He  told  the  stories 
as  current,  oral  literature  coming  down  from  the 
past.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  Recueil 
advertised  itself  as  a  repository,  or  miscellany,  of 
"pieces  curious  and  new."  The  oral  tales  of  the 
peasants  would  be  curious  and  new  to  the  affected 
literary  world  of  Louis  XI  Vs  day. 

Twenty  years  before  Perrault  began  to  write  down 
the  oral  narratives  of  the  people,  fairy  stories  and 
naive  literature  in  general  had  become  popular  at 
the  court,  although  only  in  oral  form ;  but  the  popu- 


FOLK  TALES  87 

larity  was  rather  a  fad  than  a  revival  of  real  sim- 
plicity, and  it  was  in  no  sense  a  pledge  of  scientific 
interest  in  the  life  of  the  populace. 

Perrault's  part  in  the  world.  But  Perrault 's 
stories  ring  true,  as  the  real  product  of  the 
peasantry  of  France  and  of  past  ages  of  peas- 
antry in  other  lands.  The  elements  are  older 
than  France,  older  than  French  civilization  as  we 
ill  ink  of  it.  Though  these  stories  manifestly  have 
other  civilizations  besides  the  French  reflected  in 
them,  they  are,  however,  in  Perrault's  versions 
truly  French  as  well  as  truly  human.  How  did 
the  result  come  about?  Simply  enough.  Perrault 
took  the  narratives,  not  out  of  his  own  imagina- 
tion, but  directly  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  people 
through  the  mouth  of  a  child.  Perrault's  little  son 
repeated  them  as  the  peasant  nurse  had  told  them; 
and  Perrault  the  father  wrote  them  down,  or  his 
son  wrote  them  down  in  a  more  or  less  crude,  natural 
form,  and  Perrault  edited  them.  This  conclusion 
seems  to  be  the  best  judgment  of  the  critics  as  to 
what  part  Perrault  and  as  to  what  part  his  son  had 
in  the  composition;  for  the  eight  prose  tales  edited 
in  book  form,  as  we  have  said,  were  attributed  to 
the  son,  Perrault  Darmancour — although  Perrault, 
the  father,  the  noted  academician,  when  they  were 
attacked,  defended  them  and  acknowledged  a  share 
in  the  writing.  Contemporaneous  criticism  seems  to 
establish    the    probability    that    the    stories    were 


88  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

written  down  or  recited  by  the  boy  as  exercises  in 
composition.  Perranlt  was  well  known  to  be  inter- 
ested intelligently  in  the  education  of  his  children, 
and  to  give  a  good  deal  of  his  time  to  directing  it 
personally.  He  fostered  ingenuity  and  originality. 
He  called  the  process  of  putting  into  acceptable 
literary  form  the  stories  of  the  nursery  and  of  the 
French  peasant  households  "original  composition" 
on  the  part  of  his  children.  It  was  original  in  the 
truest  and  most  valuable  sense.  When  the  little 
boy  and  his  father  began,  few  or  none  such  tales 
had  been  written  out  in  French,  at  least  not  in  that 
age.  The  father  rightly  thought  the  work  more 
contributive  than  the  frivolous  re-doing  of  the  Greek 
and  Roman  classics  which  occupied  the  school  chil- 
dren of  the  day.  The  Perrault  family  believed  in 
things  "curious  and  new." 

It  is  beautiful  to  think,  though,  that  this  jolly, 
companionable,  modern  father,  the  famous  hero  of 
the  Battle  of  the  Books,  finally,  in  spite  of  himself, 
and  in  plain  contradiction  to  his  supposed  position, 
was  meeting  Homer  on  his  own  ground  as  a  teller 
of  ' '  old  wives '  fables. ' '  It  is  also  satisfying  to  know 
that  what  created  such  a  storm  in  Perrault 's  day  is 
accepted  as  an  obvious  fact  now — namely,  that  the 
great  epics  of  Homer,  in  their  elements,  first  be- 
longed to  the  people. 

The  motive.  Perrault  7s  stories  will  live  forever 
as  well  as  Homer's.      The  delightful  blending  of 


FOLK  TALES  89 

age  and  youth  in  them  makes  them  more  valuable 
than  they  were  before.  Perrault  was  himself,  de- 
spite his  luck  and  elevation,  essentially  a  man  of 
the  people.  His  impatience  with  scholarship,  his 
breezy  and  unblushing  amateurism  in  everything, 
prove  the  fact,  as  well  as  does  his  innate  sympathy 
with  the  folk  of  his  country.  Perrault  is  to  be 
remembered  for  his  love  of  little  children  and  of  the 
common  people  shown  in  a  practical  way,  also,  when 
he  was  retiring  from  his  service  as  minister  to  the 
king.  It  was  proposed  that  the  Tuilleries  gardens 
should  be  closed  to  the  public  and  reserved  for  roy- 
alty only.  Perrault  protested  in  the  name  of  little 
French  children  and  of  common  mothers  and  fathers 
and  nurses,  saying,  "I  am  persuaded  that  the 
gardens  of  the  kings  are  made  so  great  and  spacious 
that  all  their  children  may  walk  in  them.,,  It  was 
decreed  that  the  gardens  should  be  kept  open  in 
the  interest  of  children  forever. 

The  list.  Perrault  published  three  verse  tales  as 
well  as  the  eight  prose  tales.  The  prose  versions, 
as  we  have  said,  will  always  live.  They  have  passed 
over  the  boundaries  of  city  and  country  and  become 
native  in  England  and  America  as  well  as  in  France. 
One  has  but  to  give  a  list  to  prove  the  contention 
instantly,  with  a  single  exception.  Here  is  the  list: 
La  Belle  au  Bois  Dormant  (The  Sleeping  Beauty), 
Le  Petit  Chaperon  Rouge  (Little  Red  Riding-Hood), 
La  Barbe  Bleiie  (Blue  Beard),  Le  Maistre  Chat,  ou 


90  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

Le  Chat  Botte  (Puss  in  Boots),  Les  Fees  (Toads  and 
Diamonds),  Cendrillon,  ou  la  petite  pantoufle  de 
verre  (Cinderella),  Biqnet  a  la  Houppe  (Kiquet  of 
the  Tuft — not  popular  in  English),  and  Le  Petit 
Poucet  (Hop  o'  My  Thumb).  These  tales  received 
in  England  the  title  of  "Mother  Goose's  Tales" 
because  on  all  the  English  chap-books,  with  various 
slight  alterations,  the  frontispiece  of  the  1697  French 
edition  persisted.  It  represents  an  old  woman  spin- 
ning, and  telling  tales  to  a  man,  a  girl,  a  little  boy, 
and  a  cat  with  a  broad  grin  on  its  face;  and  an- 
nounces on  a  placard 

CONTES 
DEMA 

Mere 
Loye 
that  is,  "Mother  Goose's  Tales." 

The  Brothers  Grimm 

Jacob  Ludwig  Carl  (1785-1863) 
Wilhelm  Carl    (1786-1859) 

The  founders  of  the  science  of  folk  lore  were  the 
brothers  Jacob  and  William  Grimm,  who  published, 
in  1812-1815,  their  Children  and  Household  Tales,  a 
collection  of  popular  tales  taken  for  the  most  part 
directly  from  the  mouths  of  the  common  people  of 
Germany. 

The  mutual  friendship  of  these  brothers  was  in 
itself  fundamental  and  folk-like.    Its  simplicity  and 


FOLK  TALES  91 

devotion  have  passed  into  a  proverb.  While  their 
name  stands  for  what  is  highest  and  best  in  German 
scholarship,  it  stands  also  for  what  is  loveliest  in 
human  nature — kindliness,  industry,  enthusiasm, 
patience,  and  brotherly  love,  in  both  the  restricted 
and  universal  sense. 

Live  and  work  together.  Jacob  and  William 
Grimm  were  born  one  year  apart,  1785,  1786.  They 
attended  school  together,  worked  together,  lived 
together  for  seventy-two  years,  with  the  exception 
of  one  year  when  William,  the  younger,  was  ill, 
and  his  brother  Jacob  went  up  to  the  University 
of  Marburg  a  few  months  in  advance  in  1802. 
William  followed,  however,  in  1803.  As  boys  they 
had  gone  through  the  public  school  of  Cassel  to- 
gether. When  AVilliam  wTas  married,  Jacob  con- 
tinued to  live  with  him;  and  it  is  said  that  the  chil- 
dren of  the  family  loved  their  uncle  almost  as  much 
as  they  loved  their  father,  and  recognized  little 
difference  between  the  two.  As  men  in  the  world, 
Jacob  and  William  were  brother  librarians,  brother 
professors,  brother  sufferers  in  the  cause  of  consti- 
tutional liberty.  When  Jacob  was  professor  and 
librarian  at  Gottengen  and  William  was  under- 
librarian,  they  signed,  with  five  other  members  of 
the  faculty  of  the  university,  a  protest  against  the 
King  of  Hanover's  abrogation  of  the  Constitution 
he  had  given  to  his  people  a  fewT  years  before.  In 
punishment  the  brothers  Grimm  were  dismissed,  and 


92  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

went  back  to  Cassel,  where  they  remained  without 
an  appointment  for  three  years. 

In  1840,  however,  at  the  invitation  of  the  King 
of  Prussia,  they  both  accepted  professorships  in  the 
University  of  Berlin  and  membership  in  the  Acad- 
emy of  Science.  Jacob  lived  five  years  longer  than 
William,  but  always  in  the  halo  of  their  past  com- 
panionship. The  greatest  sorrow  that  ever  came 
to  Jacob's  heart  was  the  loss  of  his  brother.  He 
paid  a  noble  and  touching  tribute  to  William  in  a 
review  of  his  life  in  an  address  before  the  Academy 
— a  pathetic  address  in  which  the  speaker  broke 
down  and  cried. 

Nature  of  their  work.  The  brothers  Grimm  did 
more  than  Perrault  in  that  they  not  only  told  the 
stories  of  the  past  simply  and  well,  but  created  a 
love  in  the  minds  of  other  persons  for  the  simple 
folk  products  of  all  nations  and  created  a  reverence 
for  race  literature  just  as  it  is  found.  They  went 
at  the  work  of  preservation  in  the  spirit  of  science. 
For  instance,  they  would  collect  variants  of  a  story 
and  then,  comparing  the  variants  with  the  best 
straightforward  version  they  had,  they  would  de- 
cide, through  their  knowledge  of  the  dialects  and  of 
anthropology  in  general,  what  was  probably  the 
ancient  and  most  natural  form  or  the  best  evolved 
form.  This  they  would  put  into  the  body  of  their 
book  and  would  offer  the  remainder  in  the  notes 
and  the  discussion.      Some  stories,  they  took  from 


FOLK  TALES  93 

manuscript  and  other  collections,  and  commented 
on  the  source. 

Asbjornsen  and  Moe 

Like  the  Grimm  Brothers,  Peter  Christen  Asbjorn- 
sen (1812-1885)  and  Jorgen  Engsbretsen  Moe  (1813- 
1882)  have  come  down  in  literary  fame  together. 
They  met  when  one  was  fourteen  and  the  other  was 
thirteen  years  old,  and  remained  fast  friends  the 
rest  of  their  lives.  Each  one,  inspired  by  the  work 
of  the  German  collectors,  determined  to  write  down 
for  preservation  whatever  Norse  folk  tales  he  should 
come  across  from  day  to  day.  After  working  a  year 
or  more  alone,  the  young  men  decided,  in  1834,  to 
do  the  final  revision  and  the  editing  and  publishing 
together.  It  happened,  or  came  as  a  result  of  their 
association,  that  they  had  practically  the  same  way 
of  thinking  and  the  same  vigorous  and  charming 
narrative  style.  The  partnership  was  extremely 
fortunate.  It  resulted  in  one  of  the  best  books  of 
Norwegian  literature,  and  altogether  one  of  the  best 
folk  story  collections  in  the  world.  These  narra- 
tives, even  when  retold  in  the  simplest  form  for 
young  readers,  retain  the  crispness  of  northern 
thought  and  expression. 

How  they  gathered  stories.  Asbjornsen,  who  be- 
came zoologist  and  spent  much  of  his  time  investi- 
gating for  the  university  in  the  way  of  his  profession 
along  the  coasts  of  Norway,  collected  many  of  his 


94  PRIMARY  EEADING  AND  LITERATURE 

stories  meanwhile,  especially  from  the  west  coast 
and  the  Hardanger  fjord;  and  Moe,  who  became 
a  clergyman,  searched  in  the  southern  mountains 
and  the  remote  districts  as  his  duties  and  holidays 
permitted. 

The  first  volume  came  out  in  1842-1843  under  the 
title  Norse  Folk  Tales,  and  the  second  volume 
in  1844.  These  two  volumes  were  received  with 
acclaim,  and  have  been  deservedly  popular  ever 
since.  Dr.  George  Webbe  Dasent  began  translat- 
ing them  into  English  almost  immediately,  and  after 
fifteen  years  published  a  first  edition  in  Edinburg 
called  M Popular  Tales  from  the  Norse."  This  vol- 
ume lacked  thirteen  of  the  Norse  stories,  but  con- 
tained a  long  preface  by  Dasent  on  the  Origin  and 
Diffusion  of  Popular  Literature.  Later,  in  a  second 
edition,  the  preface  was  revised  and  extended,  and 
the  remaining  Norse  stories  added.  The  English 
translation  of  Asbjornsen  and  Moe  is,  in  itself,  an 
excellent  and  noted  book.  In  1871  an  augmented 
edition  of  Norse  Folk  Tales  was  published  under 
the  names  of  the  lifelong  friends  and  collectors. 

Norway  is  a  small  country  with  only  about  two 
and  a  half  million  inhabitants,  but  she  has  always 
given  a  good  account  of  herself  in  literature.  To 
Asbjornsen  and  Moe's  popular  stories  Jacob  Grimm 
gave  the  palm  for  freshness  and  sincerity. 


NOTES  ON  THE  FOLK  TALES 

Introduction 

In  its  widest  sense,  as  a  generic  term  for  commu- 
nity composition,  folk  tale  includes  stories  of  at  least 
five  types:  myth,  legend,  fairy  tale,  nursery  saga, 
and  fable  whenever  the  story  is  traditional  and  very 
old.  Most  fables  are  sophisticated  and  plainly  be- 
speak individual  authorship,  as  likewise  do  some 
myths  and  some  fairy  tales.  In  a  more  limited 
sense,  when  used  as  a  specific  term,  as  it  is  used  in 
the  indexes  to  these  Readers,  folk  tale  includes  only 
the  more  domesticated  myths  and  stories  with  myth 
elements,  like  The  Little  Sister  of  the  Sun  and  Why 
the  Sea  Is  Salt;  and  the  simpler  and  more  homely 
legends  in  the  form  of  nursery  sagas  like  Boots  and 
His  Brothers;  and  the  traditional  fairy  tales,  like 
The  Elves  and  the  Shoemaker.  This  is  the  sense  in 
which  the  term  "household  tale"  or  "nursery  tale," 
is  usually  understood.1  The  Queen  Bee  is  a  nursery 
saga.    For  literary  reasons  the  following  distinction 

i  Since  these  books  are  to  be  read  in  the  public  schools,  the  com- 
pilers wished  to  avoid  the  nursery  connotation,  it  is  to  be  presumed. 
The  avoidance  is  good  pedagogy.  The  small  child  coming  to  the 
school  building  or  the  grade  above  the  kindergarten  for  the  first  time, 
feels  himself  quite  grown  up,  and  should  not  be  abashed  unnecessarily. 
The  generic  term  is  as  good  for  him  as  the  specific,  and  is  sanctioned 
by  use. 

95 


96  PEIMAEY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

is  sometimes  made  between  fairy  tale  and  nursery 
saga,  which  may  both  be  household  tales;  in  the 
fairy  tale,  the  fairy  or  supernatural  creature  like  a 
fairy  is  the  chief  actor;  whereas  in  the  nursery  saga, 
the  human  being  is  the  chief  actor,  is  the  hero.  For 
this  distinction  the  word  "saga"  is  borrowed  from 
the  Norse  language,  where  it  signifies  "hero- 
legend."  The  addition  of  the  adjective  "nursery" 
makes  the  phrase  mean  that  the  story  is  told  of  a 
child's  hero  or  heroine.  Often  the  hero  is  the 
youngest  of  three  brothers  and  is  supposed  to  be 
a  ne'er-do-well:  often  the  heroine  is  a  neglected 
step-daughter  or  orphan. 

Here  are  the  formal  definitions  of  these  two  types, 
set  over  against  each  other: 

(1)  A  Fairy  Tale  is  a  narrative  of  imaginative  events 
wherein  the  chief  actors  are  beings  other  than  man  and 
the  gods — beings  who  have  the  power  to  help  man  or  to 
tease  and  molest  him,  but  not  the  power  utterly  to  de- 
stroy him.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  interest  centers 
about  the  supernatural  creature. 

(2)  A  Nursery  Saga  is  a  narrative  of  imaginative 
events  wherein  is  celebrated  a  human  hero  of  more  or 
less  humble  origin,  a  child's  hero  or  heroine,  who  by 
native  wit  and  energy  (or  supposed  lack  of  wit  and  en- 
ergy) together  with  the  possession  of  a  charm  or  secret 
helper  is  enabled  to  do  stupendous  deeds,  which  bring 
material  happiness.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  interest 
centers  about  the  human  hero,  the  boy  or  girl,  not  the 
fairy  who  may  help  or  the  charm  that  may  win. 


FOLK  TALES  97 

Drolls.     Comical    folk    tales    are    called    drolls. 
Now,   a   nursery    saga,   we   have   just   said,   has   a 
human  hero;  but  a  droll  may  have  only  a  human- 
ized hero.     That  is,  the  chief  actor  in  a  droll  may 
be  a  cat  or  a  mouse,  a  donkey  or  a  pig,  a  ginger- 
bread boy  or  a  pancake;    but  as  an  actor  it  must 
seem  human.     In  that  fact  resides  the  fun.     A  droll 
does  not  need  to  be  satiric,  though  it  generally  is, 
but  it  must  be  jolly.      The  student  will  note  the 
difference  between  a  droll  and  a  fable,  though  a 
fable  also  is  satiric  and  has  humanized  animals  and 
talking  inanimate  objects  for  actors.      The  forms 
are  different.      The  fable  is  usually  short  and  the 
nursery  droll  longer — the  droll  having  the  air  of  a 
saga.     Besides,  the  fable  is  always  in  earnest;  it  is 
didactic  and  utilitarian,  while  the  droll  may  be  noth- 
ing but  a  laugh  in  narrative  form.     The  idea  of  seri- 
ousness is  the  dividing  line,  too,  between  the  nursery 
saga  proper  and  the  nursery  saga  droll.     Some  one 
has  pleasantly  .conjectured  that  the  usual  nursery 
sagas   must   have  been   related   originally   by  the 
women  of  the  tribe,  and  the  drolls  by  the  men.    The 
speaker  had  in  mind,  no  doubt,  such  drolls  as  Hans 
in  Luck  and  Thumbling.     It  is  to  be  noticed  that 
these  stories  retain  the  human  hero,  but  are  mani- 
festly satiric,  though  they  do  not  cease  to  be  genial, 
especially  Hans  does  not.     The  conjecture  itself  is 
droll  and  rather  pat.      It  could  hardly  be  proved, 
however. 


98  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

The  Folk  Tales  of  the  Primer 

There  are  possibly  two  stories  in  the  Primer  not  drolls, 
the  first  and  the  last.  Since  drolls  are  manufactured  out 
of  anything,  however,  tradition  or  not,  we  might  call 
The  Little  Bed  Hen,  a  pedagogical  droll.  In  it,  surely  a 
lesson  of  cheerful  industry  is  taught  along  with  accurate 
ideas  or  planting  and  harvesting,  grinding  and  baking. 
Or  to  be  very  modern,  we  might  call  it  a  domestic  sci- 
ence droll,  since  the  ideas  of  food  sources  and  bread- 
making  are  prominent.  The  recollection  that  most  of  us 
have  of  the  Little  Red  Hen,  I  dare  say,  is  the  poetized 
version : 

"  'Oh,  I  will  then,' 

Said  the  little  red  hen," 
and  so  forth. 

The  Gingerbread  Boy  is  a  delightful  hero,  as  is  also  the 
Pancake  fellow.  The  children  will  not  miss  the  expres- 
sions of  countenance  of  these  two  as  shown  in  the  pictures 
and  they  should  not  miss  the  expressions  of  the  other 
actors.  The  touches  on  the  Gingerbread  Boy  are  the  most 
subtle,  and  should  in  themselves  afford  some  pleasant  oral 
composition  on  the  part  of  the  children.  Since  both  these 
stories  are  tragedies  that  are  not  tragedies,  the  idea  of 
what  a  droll  is  from  a  literary  point  of  view  might  pos- 
sibly be  grasped  by  the  more  advanced  pupils  if  not  by 
all.  They  might  be  asked  to  make  up  drolls  of  their  own. 
When  we  remember  that  Macaulay  was  reading  the  news- 
paper when  he  was  four  years  old,  that  John  Stuart  Mill 
was  studying  Latin  and  Greek  and  had  read  all  the  high 
school  classics  in  those  subjects  as  well  as  in  mathematics 
when  he  was  eight,  and  that  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  had 
dictated  a  history  of  Moses  before  he  could  write,  we 


TALES  OF  THE  PRIMER  99 

need  not  hesitate  to  talk  a  bit  rationally  to  our  young 
subjects  in  the  classroom.  Some  of  thorn  may  be  aching 
with  genius  and  be  ready  to  grow  wonderfully  if  they 
only  have  the  chance.  Humor  is  a  good  pedagogue  as 
well  as  a  good  civilizer.  We  cannot  have  too  much  of 
the  right  sort  in  school. 

The  Old  Woman  and  the  Pig  might  be  considered  the 
standard  of  the  repetition  droll.  It  is  a  typical  folk  tale 
also,  in  so  much  as  it  reflects  the  simple  attitude  of  early 
people  towrard  the  rest  of  creation.  There  was  not  for 
primitive  man,  as  there  is  not  for  children  to-day,  any 
conscious  barrier  between  the  inanimate  and  the  animate 
or  the  mere  animal  and  the  human.  To  the  naive  mind 
the  accident  of  never  having  heard  a  dog  converse  or  a 
stick  reply,  would  not  preclude  the  belief  that  upon  oc- 
casions either  could  do  so.  Water  and  fire,  oxen  and 
ropes — why  should  they  not  talk  as  well  as  the  butcher? 
and  have  their  own  affairs  and  their  own  prejudices?'  As 
for  the  sixpence,  it  is  English,  of  whatever  nationality 
the  pig  may  be !  The  cumulative  repetition  idea  must  be 
very  old,  but  this  particular  sequence  could  not  go  farther 
back  in  date  than  the  first  year  of  stiles,  of  rope  manu- 
facture, and  of  the  differentiation  of  butchers.  The  six- 
pence is  merely  representative,  one  would  suppose.  If 
not,  wise  critics  in  dim  future  ages  will  be  able  to  say 
definitely,  considering  that  one  point  alone  in  connection 
wTith  contemporaneous  evidence,  that  the  story  did  not 
originate  in  the  years  1912,  1913,  1914,  among  any  of 
the  civilized  tribes.  Unless,  perhaps,  the  whole  compo- 
sition were  launched  in  1914  as  a  droll  on  the  coercive 
measures  at  that  time  in  vogue. 

The  Boy  and  the  Goat  is  a  cry-baby  droll,  on  the  same 
pattern.  The  illustrations  are  charmingly  conceived.  One 
is  not  quite  sure,  however,  whether  the  disproportionate 


100  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

size  of  the  bee  is  art  or  satire.  The  position  of  hero 
should  justify  the  emphasis. 

Chicken  Little — or  Chuck  Luck,  as  he  is  sometimes 
called — is  a  brave  youngster  of  much  wisdom.  He  has 
his  prototype  in  the  world  to-day,  and  has  had  it  ever 
since  man  was  man.  The  testimony  of  an  eye  witness 
goes  very  far  with  most  persons;  few  stop  to  consider 
whether  or  not  snap  judgment  has  accompanied  the  see- 
ing and  the  hearing.  However,  Foxy  Loxy  is  met  sooner 
or  later,  and  all  is  over  for  a  while,  until  another  com- 
pany with  a  Chicken  Little  for  leader  comes  along.  This 
story  has  many  versions.  The  Norse,  in  Dasent's  transla- 
tion, is  called  The  Cock  mid  the  Hen  that  went  to  Dovre- 
fell.  Here  the  hen  finally  outwits  the  fox,  but  only  after- 
he  has  devoured  her  followers. 

The  Billy  Goats  Gruff  is  the  other  side  of  the  shield. 
In  this  story  the  humanized  heroes  come  off  victorious 
without  mistake.  This  is  indisputably  one  of  the  best 
drolls  in  the  world.  It  has  virility  with  charm,  the  fairy 
tale  quality  with  naturalness,  and  the  essentially  oral  style 
with  naive  humor.  The  mimetic  element  alone  would 
make  the  story  immortal.  No  one  who  knows  it  can  hear 
a  goat  go  over  a  bridge  and  not  think  of  the  line.  The 
beat  of  the  little  hoofs  is  unmistakable.  The  repetition 
of  it  is  fascinating  and  the  jollity  and  sprightliness  are 
irresistible.  The  fact  that  the  sprightliness  is  enforced 
makes  the  humor  the  better,  as  does  also  the  fine  brotherly 
love  of  the  Gruffs.  They  are  united  against  a  foe — they 
are  united  as  many  a  set  of  brothers  is  in  the  strength  of 
the  greatest.  Daring  and  cunning  may  avail  if  one  only 
have  substantial  reference.  The  two  smaller  Gruffs  felt 
that  they  had  it. 

The  troll  belongs  of  right  in  a  Norse  tale.  He  is  made 
to  tease  Norse  heroes  and  to  be  outwitted  by  them.    He 


TALES  OF  THE   I'KlMEl;  lOl 

is  usually  a  fiercer  creature  than  is  here  represented,  how- 
ever. In  the  original  story  he  has  eyes  as  big  as  saucers 
and  a  nose  as  long  as  a  poker.  The  nose  is  characteristic 
of  trolls.  No  wonder  that  the  goat  flew  at  him,  poked 
his  eyes  out,  crushed  him  to  bits,  body  and  bone,  and 
tossed  him  into  the  water! 

Little  Tuppens,  the  next  hero,  might  be  Chicken  Lit- 
tle's less  educated  cousin.  He  has  the  family  traits.  The 
story  as  here  given  is  more  interesting  as  a  mere  story 
and  more  logical  than  either  the  German  version,  called 
in  Grimm's  collection  The  Death  of  the  Little  Bed  Hen, 
or  the  Norse  version  called  The  Cock  and  the  Hen  a-Nut- 
tiit</.  The  logic  of  the  sequence,  however,  makes  one  sus- 
pect the  hand  of  the  pedagogue.  The  dwarfs,  though  a 
late  addition  by  the  kaleidoscopic  process,  are  not  inap- 
propriate. They  belong  to  folk  stories  thoroughly  and 
may  well  join  the  sequence.  This  is  a  better  version  for 
school  children  than  Grimm's,  both  because  of  the  infor- 
mation entailed  and  because  of  the  happy  conclusion, 
though  children  love  funerals  and  bury  hens  and  pet 
canaries  with  aesthetic  pleasure.  The  Norse  tale  just 
mentioned  has  a  happy  ending  also,  though  not  the  dwarf 
ending,  as  one  would  suspect.  The  kaleidoscope  has  been 
shaken  a  number  of  times  in  this  story.  There  are  many 
versions.  The  unnatural  natural  suspense  is  the  charming 
droll  element  retained  in  all. 

Little  Spider  is  Spinning  her  First  Web.  Every  teacher 
will  recall  with  what  delight  as  a  child  he  used  to  come 
upon  a  spider's  web.  The  exquisite  workmanship  never 
failed  to  hold  his  attention.  The  last  selection  in  the 
Primer  gives  opportunity  for  nature  study,  not  only  of 
the  spider  but  also  of  the  bee,  the  ant,  the  cricket,  the 
butterfly,  and  the  bird.  The  music  of  the  out-door  world 
should  come  under  discussion  also,  and  the  question  of 


102  PRIMARY  beading  and  literature 

how  the  insects  make  their  songs.  The  teacher  should 
explain  to  city  children  especially  that  the  relative  size 
of  a  bee  and  a  cricket  and  of  an  ant  and  a  cricket  is  not 
always  that  given  in  the  illustration.  Distinction  should 
be  made,  too,  between  the  cricket  and  the  grasshopper. 
General  relative  sizes  are  better  expressed  in  the  last  pic- 
ture. The  study  of  color,  in  which  children  revel,  should 
not  be  overlooked.  The  Primer  is  of  necessity  restricted, 
but  nature  is  not. 

The  connotation  of  the  last  line  is  excellent.  This  little 
primer  surely  should  make  the  children  who  read  it  very 
happy.  The  drolls  have  in  them  the  merriment  of  the 
ages ;  and  through  the  quaint  structure  of  these  narratives, 
repetition  of  words  (a  necessity  in  a  first  book,  but 
usually  secured  through  a  joy-killing  device)  here  turns 
out  to  be  a  delight,  psychologically  attendant  upon  the 
art  of  real  literature. 

Notes  on  the  Folk  Tales  of  the  First  Reader 

The  First  Reader  contains  five  more  drolls:  the  two 
English  The  Three  Little  Pigs  and  the  Cat  and  the  Mouse; 
the  German  The  Bremen  Band;  the  Russian  The  Straw 
Ox;  and  the  Norse  The  Sheep  and  the  Pig. 

The  Three  Little  Pigs  has  the  ancient  well-honored 
motif  of  the  weak  and  supposedly  stupid  domestic  ani- 
mal's finally  overreaching  the  cunning  of  its  wild  enemies. 
That  pleasing  thought  is  presented  through  the  still  more 
pleasing  device  of  repetition  with  jingle. 

The  Cat  and  the  Mouse  is  similar,  only  it  is  not  nearly 
so  spirited;  besides,  though  it  has  the  rhyme,  it  lacks  the 
tripping  rhythm.    The  sequence  idea  is  chief  here. 

The  Bremen  Band  does  not  lack  the  rollicking  effect  of 
a  droll,  and  the  gentle  satire  is  evident,  especially  when 


TALES  OF  THE  FIRST  READER  1Q3 

one  remembers  that  this  is  a  German  production.  The 
dramatic  form  is  here  good,  and  would  be  justified  his- 
torically by  other  drolls  in  dramatic  garb  in  Grimm's 
collection,  like  Clever  Hans,  if  it  were  not  justified  in  the 
first  place  by  the  native  love  of  children  for  dramatic 
presentation. 

The  Straw  Ox  is  quite  as  good  in  the  droll  way  as 
The  Bremen  Band,  and  could  easily  be  dramatized  ex- 
temporaneously by  the  children.  The  story  recalls  the 
Tar  Baby  of  the  Uncle  Remus  narratives.  The  idea  is  as 
old  as  tar  or  older,  and  belongs  to  no  one  country.  The 
Russian  atmosphere  of  this  tale  is  worthy  of  note.  The 
bear  is  not  an  infrequent  visitor  at  the  doors  of  the  scat- 
tered peasant  huts  of  that  vast  land,  as  he  is  a  not  un- 
familiar caller,  likewise,  on  the  few  inhabitants  of  our 
own  Yosemite  valley.  The  other  animals  of  the  forest  and 
wood  seem  hardly  less  familiar  in  a  Russian  door-yard 
than  a  bear.  Russia  is  covered  with  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  square  miles  of  beautiful  forests  that  harbor  all 
kinds  of  animals.  Though  there  is  the  natural  and  pri- 
meval attitude  of  one  creature's  paw  or  fang  against  the 
other,  there  is  a  degree  of  brotherliness  between  man  and 
beast  not  found  in  thickly  populated  communities  from 
which  wild  animals  have  been  altogether  banished.  In  a 
primitive  community,  as  here  in  the  story,  upon  any 
occasion  of  mutual  advantage  all  goes  well.  The  old 
man's  occupation  of  sharpening  his  knife  as  he  sits  by  the 
cellar  door  is  characteristic — though  not  only  of  Russian 
farmers,  it  must  be  admitted.  But  the  dialogue  that  fol- 
lows certainly  suggests  the  proverbial  source  of  the  Mus- 
covite peasants'  winter  garments,  and  when  for  these  are 
substituted  the  other  household  necessities — honey,  sheep, 
geese,  and  turnips — anyone  who  has  been  in  Russia  feels 
immediately  at  home. 


104  PEIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

The  Sheep  and  the  Pig  is  a  fable-like  droll.  The  fable 
element  lies  in  the  proverbs.  The  whole  tale  might  be 
considered  a  pleasant  fling  at  homely  and  conventional 
sayings.  Even  a  child  would  smile  at  the  rabbit's  com- 
placency when  he  says,  "Good  tools  make  good  work." 
The  next  proverb  is  unquestionably  droll  also,  both  in 
statement  and  connotation.  The  pig's  addition  later  is 
appropriate,  too,  coming  from  him.  The  repeated  saluta- 
tion and  the  summary  of  the  story  are  in  themselves  worth 
while,  as  is  indeed  the  whole  composition.  It  has  the 
unmistakable  sturdy  tang  of  Norse  folk  morality  in  it. 

Wee  Robin's  Christmas  Song  has  a  Scotch  tone  corre- 
sponding with  its  source,  and  Wee  Robin  has  Scotch 
sagacity.  The  story  is  a  late  production,  obviously  after 
the  advent  of  Christianity  in  England.  Animal  epics,  to 
which  this  story  is  allied,  by  suggestion  if  nothing  more, 
are  a  natural  form  growing  out  of  the  earlier  community 
living  of  beasts  and  men.  The  story  can  hardly  be  called 
a  droll.  Wee  Robin  is  too  direct  for  a  droll  hero,  and  too 
aristocratic.  The  little  pig  was  shrewd,  but  he  won  his 
way  through  plebeian  methods.  Wee  Robin  is  intellectual 
and  .dignified.  The  greatest  animal  epic,  or  beast  epic, 
is  that  of  Reynard  the  Fox,  but  many  of  Reynard's  ad- 
ventures are  droll ;  besides,  he  is  generally  a  rascal.  Like 
Wee  Robin,  he  is  sagacity  itself.  However,  the  sly  fox 
in  this  narrative  is  only  one  of  Reynard's  less  capable  de- 
scendants. The  whole  tone  of  the  version  is  late,  even 
very  modern.  The  appropriateness  of  the  gift  to  Robin 
of  Jenny  Wren  comes  from  the  fact  that  the  robins  and 
the  wrens  feed  together. 

Little  Two  Eyes  is  one  of  the  beautiful  German  nursery 
sagas  of  the  Cinderella  tradition.  The  ancient  and  primi- 
tive elements  have  been  softened  in  both  stories  as  given  in 
our  readers.     The  common  properties  are  therefore  not 


TALES  OF  THE  FIRST  READER  105 

so  apparent  as  they  are  in  the  German  versions.  The  dis- 
tinguishing incidents,  rather,  are  retained,  as  they  should 
be  according  to  the  law  of  good  story  transmission.  The 
conception  of  persons  with  a  varying  number  of  eyes  is 
ancient.  Polyphemus,  the  chief  of  a  race  of  one-eyed 
giants  living  in  Sicily,  had  his  one  eye  put  out  by  Ulysses. 
Odin,  the  Norse  god,  is  one-eyed.  Jupiter,  according  to 
a  Greek  myth  referred  to  by  Grimm,  has  three  eyes.  The 
idea  of  a  magic  plant's  springing  from  a  buried  portion 
of  a  killed  or  murdered  creature  is  a  common  incident 
of  folk  tales.  Teachers  need  not  be  afraid  of  these  wild 
elements.  Normal  children  are  not  shocked  by  them,  be- 
cause children  themselves  are  in  the  folk  tale  stage  of 
mental  development,  repeating  the  evolution  of  the  race. 

Little  Half  Chick  is  also  a  late  composition,  with  an  arti- 
ficial myth  element  in  the  attempt  to  account  for  the 
weather-vane.  The  story  is  made  up  of  ancient  motifs, 
however,  and  is  not  uninterestingly  told.  The  talking  of 
Little  Half  Chick  with  the  brook,  the  wind,  and  the  fire  is 
a  true  folk  element.  The  idea  of  revenge  is,  of  course, 
not  exclusively  Spanish,  though  at  home,  surely,  in  a 
Spanish  tale.  Naked  justice  is  folk  wisdom,  and  children 
appreciate  it  more  than  they  do  sentimentalism. 

Little  Topknot  has  both  a  fable  element  in  the  implied 
moral  and  the  satire,  and  a  myth  element  in  the  explana- 
tion of  the  absence  of  the  large  topknot  on  the  hen.  Such 
stories  are  called  animal-myths,  or  Pourquoi  stories.  They 
answer  the  question  why.  There  are  many  to  be  found  in 
collections.  "Popular  Tales  from  the  Norse"  has  one 
called  Why  the  Bear  is  Stamp-tailed  and  another,  The 
Cock,  the  Cuckoo,  and  the  Black  Cock  explaining  the  cries 
of  the  birds.  Grimm's  collection  contains  a  similar  story 
about  the  Bittern  and  the  Hoopoe,  and  one  about  the  Wil- 
low-Wren, and  still  another  about  the  Sole,  explaining 


106  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

why  its  mouth  is  on  one  side.  Another  called  The  Fox 
and  the  Geese  is  an  animal-myth  droll.  A  charming  folk- 
myth  like  these,  save  that  it  is  not  about  animals,  is 
Grimm's  The  Straw,  the  Coal,  and  the  Bean.  The  story 
accounts  for  the  black  seam  on  the  bean. 

The  Fisherman  is  a  very  old  story  and  is  widely  diffused. 
Grimm  mentions  a  number  of  variants,  and  reminds  us 
that  the  feature  of  the  wife 's  inciting  her  husband  to  seek 
high  dignities  is  ancient  in  itself  and  dates  from  Eve.  The 
greatest  example  in  all  literature  is  that  of  Lady  Macbeth. 
It  is  the  tragedy  of  human  daring  coupled  with  weakness 
that  holds  the  reader  and  makes  him  return  to  a  contem- 
plation of  such  a  course  of  events,  even  in  its  simplest 
form  as  a  folk  tale.  High  deeds  ending  disastrously  have 
always  been  a  tragic  theme.  In  the  Pomeranian  version 
of  this  narrative  the  ominousness  of  the  streak  of  blood 
on  the  water  is  in  its  way  as  fine  a  touch  at  the  beginning 
as  the  short  introductory  scene  of  the  witches  is  in 
Macbeth.  The  concomitant  changing  of  the  ocean  with  the 
increasing  gravity  of  the  events  continues  the  effect.  The 
impiousness  of  the  fishwife 's  final  ambition  links  her  with 
Marlowe's  Faustus  as  well  as  with  Lady  Macbeth.  This 
criticism  cannot  be  said  to  be  artificial  and  forced,  nor  is 
it  high-flown ;  for  if  the  story  be  admitted  to  be  true  lit- 
erature, as  it  indisputably  is,  then  it  must  be  admitted  to 
be  germane  with  all  other  true  literature  on  the  same 
theme.  Moreover,  indeed,  Marlowe  took  his  Faustus  from 
popular  legend.  The  Fisherman's  story  remained  popular 
in  form  and  is  a  nursery  saga  with  childlike  tone,  but  even 
the  youngest  reader  or  listener  senses  the  philosophy. 

The  Lad  and  the  North  Wind  has  an  entirely  different 
atmosphere  about  it,  but  is  equally  good.  It  (a  very 
happy  story)  is  to  the  Fisherman  (a  very  serious  story)  as 
As  You  Like  It  (a  comedy)   is  to  Macbeth   (a  tragedy). 


MOTHER  GOOSE  107 

One  must  not  be  understood  to  say  that  The  Lad  and  the 
North  Wind  is  a  droll.  It  is  no  more  a  droll  than  As  You 
Like  It  is  a  farce.  The  Lad  is  a  true  nursery  saga  hero, 
the  son  of  a  poor  woman.  He  has  the  sturdy  confidence 
of  his  class.  He  does  not  hesitate  to  seek  out  the  North 
Wind  in  its  wry  abiding-place  and  demand  justice.  The 
good-humored  action  of  the  North  Wind  makes  the  reader 
feel  the  presence  of  destiny  in  the  boy's  life,  and  makes 
the  critic  suspect  lingering  myth  elements  in  the  narra- 
tive. The  personification  of  the  north  wind  is  myth-like. 
"The  tablecloth,  the  ram,  and  the  stick,"  says  Dr.  Dasent, 
"are  of  the  things  of  Wish,  or  Choice,  about  which  the 
old  mythology  has  so  much  to  tell."  Wish  or  Choice  is 
Odin  under  another  name,  and  its  bounty  is  like  the 
bounty  of  Odin.  The  Aryan  school  would  naturally  find 
much  significance  in  the  ram's  money. 

Whatever  the  hidden  myth  elements  may  be,  this  is  a 
true  nursery  saga  in  its  present  form,  as  is  attested  by  the 
fact  of  the  boy  hero's  winning  success  from  his  opponents 
in  repeated  similar  situations,  first  by  initial  bravery  and 
second  by  a  charm  that  he  has  secured  through  his  per- 
sistence and  good  humor.  The  skeptical  attitude  of  his 
mother,  as  wTell  as  the  rascally  behavior  of  the  landlord, 
is  also  typical. 

Mother  Goose 

Mother  Goose  Rhymes  belong  to  folk-lore,  how- 
ever recent  they  may  seem  to  us.  They  are  not 
antique,  but  they  are  old.  Most  of  them  have  ex- 
Lsted  already  two  hundred  years.  A  collection  was 
published  in  Boston  in  1719,  and  one  in  London  in 
1760.  The  author,  or  compiler,  was  a  Boston  woman 
who  called  herself  "Mother  Goose/ '  taking  the  name 


108  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

then  current  in  England  and  France  for  a  teller  of 
children's  stories.  (See  Charles  Perrault.)  The 
rhymes  have  evidently  undergone  the  folk  literature 
process.  They  are  today  true  English-American 
folk  nursery  material.  Though  they  vary  slightly 
at  each  oral  recitation,  yet  they  remain  essentially 
always  the  same.1 

As  the  rhymes  are  a  part  of  every  American 
child's  thinking,  so  are  they  likewise  of  the  very 
folds  and  convolutions  of  American  grown-up 
brains.  For  little  foreign-born  children  attending 
the  public  schools  and  for  the  children  of  foreign- 
born  parents  nothing  could  be  better  as  an  instru- 
ment of  Americanization.  Our  great  problem  is  not 
so  much  to  teach  our  language  to  immigrants — 
though  that  is  part  of  our  problem — as  to  lead  our 
immigrants  to  think  American-wise.  Out  of  such 
bits  as  these  rhymes,  which  are  truly  national,  is 
made  that  large,  good-humored,  bold,  yet  conserva- 
tive, practical,  yet  high-minded,  scintillating,  to 
some  persons  mystifying,  to  all  persons    (just  at 

1  The  printed  versions  in  the  readers  will  seem  not  quite  right  to 
some  children  because  of  the  variation  from  the  home  oral  original. 
The  cause  of  variation  should  be  explained,  and  the  child  led  to  read 
the  rhymes  exactly  as  given  in  the  book.  The  slight  changes  may 
thus  be  made  to  serve  as  a  pedagogical  device  to  secure  at- 
tentive reading.  The  child  should  not  be  bullied,  however,  because 
of  an  occasional  interposition  of  his  memory.  Memory  is  a  good 
mental  faculty;  also  a  moral  one.  He  should  not  be  asked  to  forget 
what  his  mother  has  taught  him  and  he  will  naturally  like  the  home 
product  the  better.  But  he  should  be  put  on  his  mettle  to  render 
correctly  the  version  before  him ;  for  it  is  the  version  many  other 
little  boys  and  girls  like — the  version,  perhaps,  that  children  first 
heard  two  hundred  years  ago  from  the  lips  of  Mother  Goose  herself. 


MOTHER  GOOSE  109 

present,  at  least)  vastly  consequential  and  important 
thing,  American  thought. 

In  other  words,  one  cannot  suddenly  think  as  a 
real  American.  One  must  have  time  to  develop. 
Merc  change  of  place  does  not  give  the  power.  From 
this  fact  come  our  anarchists,  in  and  about  New 
York;  few  if  any  of  them  are  real  Americans.  The 
rougher  sort  are  recent  .comers  to  our  shores,  and 
arc  drunk  on  the  strong  raw  concoction  of  unex- 
pected American  license  and  old  world  politics. 
These  unfortunates  know  nothing  of  the  mental  food 
of  the  nation  as  a  whole.  It  is  the  true  American 
food,  however — the  milk  of  kindliness  and  liberty, 
spiced  with  native  humor — that  indigenous  Ameri- 
cans have  grown  up  on.  Indeed,  such  food  is  the 
nation's  only  hope  of  future  existence.  When  the 
greater  number  of  persons  in  this  country  cease  to 
think  as  Americans,  then  there  will  be  no  America; 
for  America,  after  all,  is  really  not  a  place,  but  a 
state  of  mind. 

And  here  at  last  is  the  wherefore  of  this  digres- 
sion. Since  a  state  of  mind  is  made  up  of  previous 
stales  of  mind,  if  we  care  that  a  national  state  of 
mind  should  be  perpetuated  we,  as  educators,  must 
Bee  to  it  that  the  essential  antecedents  of  that  state 
of  mind  are  perpetuated.  Now,  literature  and 
deliberate  teaching  are  the  best  means  we  have  for 
a  continuation  of  the  best  part  of  the  past — its 
spirit. 


HO  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

The  saving  grace  of  humor.  All  this  patriotic 
talk  may  for  the  moment  seem  far  away  from  any 
connection  with  Mother  Goose.  Not  so.  Here  is 
the  relationship :  One  who  has  not  "been  brought  up 
on  Mother  Goose  can  hardly  understand  the  Decla- 
ration of  Independence ;  surely  such  a  person  cannot 
understand  the  humor  of  that  document,  which  was 
meant  above  everything  else  to  be  practically  true, 
not  philosophically  or  literally  true.  Anyone  who 
has  been  brought  up  on  Mother  Goose  can  under- 
stand it.  He  does  not  take  things  too  literally 
— his  own  importance,  for  instance.  It  is  the 
appreciation  of  the  sense-of-nonsense  and  of  the 
non-sense-of-pompous-sense  that  has  made  and  pre- 
served us  as  a  nation.  Mother  Goose  induces  an 
appreciation  of  both.  The  greatest  tyranny  that 
has  threatened  modern  times  has  grown  up  because 
the  leaders  of  the  countries  primarily  expressing 
it  could  not  smile  at  themselves.  An  American's 
sense  of  humor  saves  him  and  makes  him  wise, 
because  it  always  includes  himself.  Perhaps  Amer- 
icans are  sane  and  tolerant  in  so  far  as  they  have 
been  brought  up  on  such  searching  rhymes  as  Simple 
Simon  and  If  All  the  World  were  Apple-Pie.  It 
undoubtedly  would  have  been  a  blessing  to  Europe, 
if  Uncle  Sam  as  a  pedagogue,  before  the  present 
w^ar  began,  could  have  marched  the  chief  militarists 
into  the  primary  school  and  held  them  there  until 


MOTHER  GOOSE  HI 

they  had  learned  by  rote,  with  full  appreciation,  the 
last  two  stanzas  of  Simple  Simon: 

Simple  Simon  went  a-fishing, 

For  to  catch  a  whale ; 
All  the  water  that  he  had 

Was  in  his  mother's  pail. 

He  went  to  catch  a  dicky-bird, 
And  thought  he  could  not  fail, 

Because  he'd  got  a  little  salt 
To  put  upon  its  tail. 


OTHER  SOURCES  OF  THE  STORIES  AND  POEMS 
Christina  Georgina  Rossetti 

(1830-1894) 

Christina  Eossetti  wrote  her  first  verses  when  she 
was  twelve  years  old.  They  were  addressed  to  her 
mother,  on  her  mother's  birthday,  April  27,  1842, 
and  were  set  np  by  Christina's  grandfather  Gaetano 
Polidori,  on  his  private  press.  The  Eossettis  were 
a  cultivated  and  interesting  family. 

Ten  years  a  teacher.  Christina's  father,  Gabriel 
Eossetti,  was  an  Italian  patriot  and  poet  of  ardent 
disposition  and  high  character,  who  had  come  to 
England  as  a  refugee  in  1824.  By  the  time  Christina 
was  born,  December  5,  1830,  he  was  established  in 
London  as  a  teacher  of  Italian,  and  within  the  year 
(1831),  was  appointed  professor  at  King's  College. 
He  became  well  known  later  as  an  Italian  poet  of 
much  ability,  and  an  expounder  of  what  seemed  to 
him  to  be  the  esoteric  anti-papal  significance  of  the 
Divine  Comedy.  He  died  when  Christina  was  some- 
what over  twenty-three.  For  ten  years  before  his 
death,  he  was  an  invalid,  and  Christina,  with  her 
sister  Maria  France  sea,  three  years  her  elder,  helped 
her  mother  keep  a  day  school  for  small  pupils,  first 
at  Camden  Town,  then  at  Frome. 

112 


CHRISTINA  GEORGINA  ROSSETTI  H3 

The  mother.  Christina's  mother,  it  is  said,  was 
a  remarkable  woman,  of  great  simplicity  of  nature 
and  an  unusual  amount  of  common  sense — self-con- 
trolled, just  and  kind,  abhorring  gossip  and  indo- 
lence. She  was  well  read  and  a  lover  of  books,  but 
most  of  all  of  life  and  accomplishments.  She  had 
no  little  business  ability,  likewise,  and  managed  her 
household  with  extreme  wisdom  and  successful 
economy,  always  making  both  ends  meet.  She 
needed  these  virtues  to  get  along  more  than  passably 
well  (as  it  seems  she  did)  with  her  surprising  and 
intellectual  husband  and  progeny. 

An  unusual  family.  Christina's  elder  brother 
was  Dante  Gabriel  Hossetti  (1828-1882),  the  pre- 
Kapliaelite  painter  and  poet  of  great  genius  and 
exceedingly  erratic  temperament,  who  had,  as  might 
be  expected,  an  unusual  .career.  Once,  long  after 
her  daughter  Christina  was  famous  and  her  hus- 
band's and  her  son's  names  were  household  names 
in  England,  Mrs.  Eossetti  said,  "I  always  had  a 
passion  for  intellect,  and  my  wish  was  that  my 
husband  should  be  distinguished  for  intellect,  and 
my  children,  too.  I  have  had  my  wish.  I  now  wish 
that  there  was  a  little  less  intellect  in  the  family, 
so  as  to  allow  for  a  little  more  common  sense."  In 
reading  Christina's  biography,  one  cannot  but  echo 
her  mother's  wish. 

Best  work  early.  Christina  had  a  rare  poetic  gift 
of  captivating  quality,  but  she  never  improved.    Her 


114  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

first  work  of  any  pretension  is  by  far  her  best, 
Goblin  Market  and  Other  Poems,  published  in  Cam- 
bridge and  London  in  1862  with  designs  by  her 
brother  Dante  Gabriel.  In  this  volume  she  attained 
a  height  she  never  afterwards  reached,  critics  have 
agreed,  though  she  published  much.  Goblin  Market 
is  a  strange  rich  poem,  with  a  haunting  promise 
in  it  of  future  supreme  greatness  on  the  part  of  the 
author,  a  promise  not  fulfilled.  Miss  Eossetti  did 
not  discipline  her  own  talent.  She  wrote  too  much, 
revised  too  little,  and  destroyed  not  enough. 

Failed  to  improve.  Like  her  brother,  she  seemed 
to  have  been  impatient  over  her  own  compositions — 
to  have  wished  simply  to  express  herself  and  have 
done.  She  entertained  no  idea  of  polish  and  perfect 
completeness.  Part  of  her  charm  no  doubt  comes 
from  her  very  incompleteness;  for  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  there  is  about  her  non-religious  verse, 
besides  a  sense  of  first  writing,  an  air  of  the  early 
morning  dash  of  genius  that  might  have  disappeared 
with  a  careful  noon-day  revision.  And  surely  we 
would  not  have  her  Sing  Song  Nursery  Rhymes  one 
whit  labored !  No,  we  would  not ;  and  yet,  it  cannot 
be  denied  that  a  considerate  touch  here  and  there 
from  the  same  hand  that  made  them  would  have  im- 
proved even  then.  Christina  Eossetti  had  as  poor 
an  ear  for  rhyme  as  had  Mrs.  Browning;  and  yet 
Mrs.  Browning,  as  Dr.  Garnett  has  pointed  out, 
improved  to  the  end  of  her  days   and  Christina 


CHKISTINA  GEORGINA  ROSSETTI  H5 

Rossetti  never.  Miss  Rossetti's  lapses  are  accord- 
ingly the  more  exasperating,  since  she  disdained  to 
notice  them. 

Christina  was,  like  her  sister  Maria,  profoundly 
religious,  and  gave  the  larger  part  of  her  time 
to  church  work  and  to  writing  pious  composi- 
tions like  Seek  and  Find  (1879),  Called  to  be  Saints 
(1881),  Time  Flies,  a  Reading  Diary  (1885),  The 
Face  of  the  Deep  (1892),  Verses  (1893).  She  wrote 
all  these  after  her  estrangement  from  her  lover 
and  suitor  because  of  her  high  Anglican  ten- 
dencies. 

Her  earlier  work  remains  the  better  and  more 
worldly  human,  the  more  understandable,  though 
everything  she  wrote  but  Goblin  Market,  declares 
Richard  Garnett,  has  a  u taint.' '  Of  peculiarity,  one 
would  think  he  meant,  though  he  does  not  explain. 
Before  her  distinctly  religious  period,  she  published 
her  stories  called  Commonplace  (1870),  her  nursery 
rhymes  called  Sing  Song  (1872),  her  tales  for  chil- 
dren, Speaking  Likenesses  (1874). 

Originality.  Peculiarity,  perhaps,  along  with 
originality  is  Christina  Rossetti's  distinguishing 
mark.  The  very  lilt  of  her  rhythm  is  original.  This 
fact  can  be  realized  immediately  even  by  one  who 
reads  only  her  nursery  rhymes.  It  might  almost  be 
said  that  Christina  Georgina  Rossetti  was  the  most 
original  writer  that  ever  lived,  surely  the  most 
original  woman  writer.    [Her  Dream  Love,  An  End, 


116  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

L.  E.  L.,  A  Birthday,  An  Apple  Gathering,  have 
been  pronounced  perfect  lyrics,  and  she  wrote  also 
good  sonnets;  but  it  is  Goblin  Market  that  gives 
her  her  rank.] 

Goblin  Market  is  a  narrative,  in  verse,  based  on 
the  fancy  that  goblins  hold  a  market  of  rare  fruits 
just  at  twilight  and  sell  only  to  young  and  beautiful 
maidens  who  will  pay  them  with  a  kiss  or  a  curl, 
and  at  the  same  time  stop  and  partake  with  the 
sellers  of  the  delicious  dainties.  These  dainties  have 
a  flavor  beyond  anything  known  to  mortal  palates 
except  upon  the  occasion  of  enchantment.  Once 
tasted,  the  fruit  creates  what  the  goblins  intend 
shall  be  an  unquenchable  desire  for  more,  which 
they  will  never  satisfy.  Two  sisters  come  across  the 
meadow  at  twilight;  one  lingers,  is  caught,  buys, 
tastes,  and  shares  in  the  delirious  revel.  She  is 
abandoned  finally;  and  though  she  comes  again  and 
again  and  lingers  in  the  meadow  to  purchase  of 
the  goblins,  she  never  sees  them.  She  hears  only 
taunts  and  insults.  Her  wild  and  feverish  longing 
turns  to  despair,  which  undermines  her  health  and 
reason.  Her  sister  saves  her  at  last  by  a  great 
sacrifice,  wherein  the  sister  meets  the  goblins  and 
outwits  them,  though  she  is  buffeted  and  tumbled 
unmercifully  by  them  before  she  escapes. 

Allegory  hangs  all  about  this  piece,  and  a  rare 
descriptive  power- permeates  every  line;  but  it  is 
the  music  and  rhythm  of  the  verse  that  astonishes, 


SAEAH  JOSEFHA  HALE  117 

though  it  seems  to  result  from  the  luscious  sug- 
gestiveness  both  physical  and  spiritual  of  the 
phraseology.  The  imagination  that  conceived 
Goblin  Market  was  no  common  imagination. 

Sarah  Josepha  Hale 

(1788-1879) 

Mary  Had  a  Little  Lamb  could  be  ranked  as  an 
American  classic,  if  by  "classic"  were  meant  any 
piece  of  literature  constantly  used  as  a  standard  by 
way  of  reference  and  imitation,  and  universally 
familiar  to  the  race  that  speaks  the  language  of  the 
piece,  like  the  rhymes  of  Mother  Goose,  this  longer 
jingle  is  known  by  all  true  Americans.  Every 
child  should  memorize  it,  not  because  of  any 
intrinsic  value,  but  because  of  the  never-ending 
connotation. 

Its  author,  Sarah  Josepha  Hale,  knew  children  at 
first  hand;  for  she  had  five  of  her  own,  left  to  her 
to  support  on  the  death  of  her  husband  when  the 
eldest  child  was  just  seven  years  old  (1822).  David 
Hale  had  been  an  eminent  lawyer  and  a  well-read 
man:  his  widow,  with  some  talent  and  a  good  deal 
of  bravery,  turned  to  writing  for  an  income.  In 
1827  she  published  a  novel,  Northwood;  in  1828 
she  became  the  editor  of  The  Ladies1  Magazine 
(Boston) ;  and  after  nine  years,  when  this  publica- 
tion was  united  with  a  Philadelphia  monthly  called 


118  PRIMARY  BEADING  AND  LITERATURE 

The  Ladies'  Booh,  Mrs.  Hale  continued  in  the 
editorship.  But  before  the  consolidation  she  had 
published  "Flora's  Interpreter,  or  the  American 
Book  of  Flowers  and  Sentiments"  (Boston,  1832). 

Combined  plant  study  and  literature.  The  title 
of  this  collection  and  that  of  the  next  lets  us  gently 
into  the  minds  and  hearts  of  American  women  a 
century  ago.  We  hardly  need  to  turn  the  leaves  of 
the  books  to  ascertain  what  is  there.  In  the 
first,  two  hundred  sixteen  plants  and  flowers  are 
described,  with  poetic  interpretations  accompanying 
them.  By  way  of  introduction  the  author  says,  l '  In 
arranging  this  little  work  it  was  my  purpose  to  com- 
bine, with  the  names  and  remembrances  of  flowers, 
a  selection  of  sentiments  from  our  best  poets.  I 
hoped  my  experiment  would  give  an  increased 
interest  to  botanical  researches  among  young  people, 
at  least,  and  among  .all  classes  would  promote  a 
better  acquaintance  with  the  beauties  of  our  own 
literature. ' ' 

Another  experiment.  This  "experiment"  is  very 
quaint;  but  the  next  title  and  preface  sound  still 
more  quaint,  and  charmingly  timid,  when  we  think 
of  the  bold  claims  of  our  modern  asserters  of 
woman's  ability:  "The  Ladies'  Wreath;  a  selection 
from  the  Female  Poetic  Writers  of  England  and 
America,  with  original  notices  and  notes:  prepared 
especially  for  Young  Ladies.  A  Gift-Book  for  All 
Seasons.    By  Mrs.  Hale.    Boston:  1837." 


SARAH  JOSEPHA  HALE  119 

Her  ideals.  In  her  preface  she  says  in  part : 
"Two  principles  have  guided  my  selections:  one, 
to  admit  no  poetry  unless  its  aim  was  'upward  and 
onward';  the  other,  to  allow  place  to  those  writers 
only  whose  style  had  some  peculiar  stamp  of  indi- 
viduality, which  marked  their  genius  as  original; 
and  I  have  sought  to  give  characteristic  specimens 
from  each. 

"I  am  aware  that  there  are  critics,  who  always 
speak  of  the  'true  feminine  style,'  as  though  there 
was  only  one  manner  in  which  ladies  could  properly 
write  poetry.  *  *  *  The  truth  is,  woman  has 
not  such  unlimited  range  of  subjects  as  man;  but 
in  the  manner  of  treating  those  within  her  province, 
she  has  a  freedom  as  perfect  as  his;  and  the  delicate 
shades  of  genius  are  as  varied  and  distinctly  marked 
in  the  one  sex  as  its  bold  outlines  are  in  the  other. 
There  are  more  varieties  of  the  rose  than  of  the 
oak." 

The  last  sentence  is  delicious.  It  is  an  epitome 
pf  the  woman  question  in  the  first  forty  years  of 
the  nineteenth  century.  The  index  to  Part  I  of 
The  Ladies'  Wreath  presents  among  the  English 
authors  the  name  of  Jane  Taylor;  and  the  index  to 
Part  II,  among  the  American  authors,  that  of  Mrs. 
Hale  herself.  In  view  of  her  preface,  it  is  truly 
delightful  to  see  that  she  has  allowed  place  to  eleven 
of  her  own  poems. 


120  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

Phoebe  Cary 

(1824-1871) 

Phoebe  Cary  is  hardly  ever  mentioned  without 
her  sister  Alice,  since  the  two  lived  together  all 
their  lives  and  sin.ce  their  poems  are  now  published 
together  in  a  well-known  edition.  Alice  was  the 
elder  and  the  more  prolific  writer,  but  both  women 
are  interesting  for  their  example  of  independence 
and  attainment  in  the  days  before  the  education  of 
woman  was  much  considered.  Alice  and  Phoebe 
did  not  have  a  very  pleasant  childhood  and  early 
young  womanhood.  They  discovered  the  truth  of 
the  old  fairy  tales  about  stepmothers  who  were  not 
kind.  Their  stepmother  was  not  kind.  She  did 
not  refuse  them  food,  to  be  sure,  but  what  they  con- 
sidered more  important — candles  to  read  and  write 
by  in  the  evening.  She  was  impatient  with  their 
desire  to  learn.  She  kept  them  busy  with  the  house- 
hold work  during  the  day  (and  they  were  willing 
enough  to  help),  but  she  refused  to  hear  to  candle- 
light improvement  after  the  work  was  done.  The 
girls  used  to  resort  to  the  device  of  a  saucer  with 
lard  and  a  bit  of  rag,  concealed  during  the  day  and 
brought  out  after  the  other  members  of  the  family 
had  gone  to  bed.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  Alice  was 
writing  for  the  press,  and  continued  to  write  more 
or  less  surreptitiously  at  home  for  ten  years  or  more. 


PHOEBE  CARY  121 

The  sisters  in  New  York.  In  1852  the  two  sisters 
left  their  home,  where  they  were  born,  near  Cin- 
cinnati, and  went  to  New  York  to  make  their  living 
with  their  pens.  Alice  is  said  to  have  been  an 
indefatigable  writer,  contributing  to  the  Atlantic 
Monthly,  Harper's,  Putnam's,  The  New  York 
Ledger,  and  The  7 n  fir  pendent.  Phoebe  wrote,  too, 
though  not  so  much.  She  took  the  larger  share  of 
the  housework,  since  Alice  was  not  so  strong  in  body 
as  she.  Phoebe  was  always  the  more  buoyant  of 
the  two,  and  the  more  brilliant  and  witty  in  con- 
versation. 

The  sisters  became  prominent  in  New  York  liter- 
ary circles.  Indeed,  they  had  a  circle  quite  of  their 
own,  also,  that  gathered  around  them  on  Sunday 
evenings,  when  they  made  a  point  of  being  "at 
home"  to  anyone  who  cared  to  talk  books  or  other 
sense.  The  little  assemblies  were  in  no  way  fashion- 
able, but  in  every  way  high-toned.  Such  men  as 
Horace  Greeley,  Bayard  Taylor,  John  Greenleaf 
Whittier,  Thomas  Bailey  Aldrich,  and  Justin  Mc- 
Carthy were  frequenters,  and  almost  every  person 
of  any  literary  pretensions  in  New  York  found  his 
way  to  their  door  sooner  or  later  during  the  fifteen 
years  that  the  sisters  kept  open  house. 

Alice  and  Phoebe  Cary  died  within  a  few  months 
of  each  other,  Alice  in  New  York,  and  Phoebe  in 
Newport,  where  she  had  been  taken  in  hope  of 
recovery. 


122  PEIMAEY  BEADING  AND  LITERATURE 

Phoebe  Cary's  publications  were  as  follows: 
Poems  and  Parodies  (1854),  Poems  of  Faith,  Hope, 
and  Love  (1868),  Hymns  for  All  Christians  (1869). 
(About  one-third  of  the  volume  published  by  the 
Eeverend  Charles  F.  Deems  was  by  Alice  and 
Phoebe  Cary.)  Phoebe  Cary  is  the  author  of  the 
familiar  hymn  called  "Nearer  Home,"  beginning 
with  the  words, ' '  One  sweetly  solemn  thought. ' '  She 
wrote  it  when  she  was  seventeen. 

Alfred  Tennyson 

(1809-1892) 

For  forty-two  years  Tennyson  was  poet-laureate 
of  Great  Britain,  and  his  was  the  leading  name  in 
English  letters.  Whether  he  was  the  greatest  poet 
writing  in  English  in  the  nineteenth  century  used 
often  to  be  discussed.  The  answer  is  largely  a 
matter  of  taste.  It  is  obvious  that  he  is  not  so 
intense  and  vital  as  Browning,  and  not  so  quiet  and 
deep  as  Wordsworth.  The  final  judgment  by  many 
readers  is  somewhat  like  this:  Of  the  three,  Tenny- 
son is  the  most  uniform  in  excellence;  his  average 
is  the  highest,  if  one  may  speak  mathematically. 
He  wrote  fewer  unreadable  lines,  and  his  best  con- 
ceptions are  always  high,  though  not  so  high  as  the 
best  of  Browning,  perhaps,  or  the  best  of  Words- 
worth. 

His  eye  and  ear.  Tennyson  has  more  than  any- 
one else,  however,  even  more  than  Wordsworth,  the 


ALFRED  TP:NNYSON  123 

seeing  eye  when  he  looks  on  nature;  and  he  lias 
conspicuously,  more  than  Browning  and  more  than 
other  poets  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  musical 
ear. 

His  first  volume  to  create  any  general  notice, 
Poems  by  Alfred  Tennyson,  1832,  astonished  the 
public  by  just  that  quality  of  liquid  rhythm  which 
we  now  know  to  be  truly  Tennysonian.  The  volume 
included  "The  Lady  of  Shalott,,,  "The  Miller's 
Daughter,"  "The  Palace  of  Art,"  "The  Lotus 
Eaters,"  and  "A  Dream  of  Fair  Women."  How- 
ever, the  Quarterly  Review  fell  on  it  with  savage 
criticism,  and  Tennyson  was  silenced  for  ten  years ; 
but  when  he  spoke  again  in  1842,  he  spoke  with  the 
same  silver  tongue.  Tennyson  worked  hard  and 
diligently,  but  it  would  seem  that  he  himself 
thought  his  ear  for  meter  a  natural  gift;  for  in 
speaking  once  of  his  childish  poems,  which  were 
never  published,  he  said  that  as  he  remembered 
them  they  were  all  perfect  in  meter.  He  began 
to  write  verse  when  he  was  eight.  Before  his 
thirteenth  year  he  had  composed  an  "epic"  of 
60,000  lines,  and  his  father  had  predicted,  "If 
Alfred  should  die,  one  of  our  greatest  poets  will 
have  gone." 

No  doubt  Tennyson's  home  schooling  had  much 
to  do  with  his  early  appreciation  of  poetic  form.  It 
is  recorded  that  he  told  Edmund  Gosse  once  that 
the  Reverend  George  Tennyson,  his  father  and  first 


124  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

school-master,  would  not  let  him  leave  home  for 
college  until  on  successive  days  he  had  recited  from 
memory  the  whole  of  the  Odes  of  Horace.  We  know 
that  it  was  the  charming  picturesqueness  of  Lincoln- 
shire, his  birthplace,  that  trained  Tennyson's  "see- 
ing eye." 

Basis  of  fame.  The  volume  called  Enoch  Arden 
(1864),  of  which  thousands  of  copies  were  sold  at 
once,  became  the  most  popular  of  Tennyson's  publi- 
cations except  In  Memoriam  (1850),  and  was  trans- 
lated into  Danish,  German,  Latin,  French,  Dutch, 
Hungarian,  and  Bohemian.  The  Idylls  of  the  King 
(1859)  had  already  been  received  with  great  popu- 
lar favor.  These  narratives  are,  in  a  way,  the  most 
considerable  body  of  Tennyson's  work.  They  form 
his  "epic,"  if  one  may  so  speak,  though  they  were 
written  at  various  times  and  only  more-or-less 
artificially  united  later.  The  fact  that  they  are 
founded  on  a  national  legend  will  insure  their  con- 
tinued favor  over  other  poems.  Alone  they  would 
perpetuate  the  chief  Tennysonian  qualities  of  style — 
ideal  portraiture,  picturesqueness,  exquisite  finish 
and  melody,  ornateness,  moral  elevation,  and  mi- 
croscopic observation  of  nature.  Tennyson  rose  only 
occasionally  to  real  passion,  and  seldom,  if  ever,  to 
vehemence.  "Rizpah"  is  truly  intense,  as  is  also 
much  of  the  idyll  of  ' '  Guinevere. ' ' 

Observation  of  nature.  It  is  to  Tennyson's  mi- 
croscopic observation  of  nature  that  the  attention  of 


JANE  TAYLOR  125 

school  children  should  be  especially  directed.  They 
might  be  inspired  by  Tennyson  when  they  could  not 
be  driven  by  the  ordinary  "nature  study' '  to 
observe  out-door  life  closely.  He  challenges  them 
with  allusions.  They  might  ask  themselves,  if  ash 
buds  are  black  in  March,  if  willows  do  whiten,  if 
little  breezes  dusk  and  shiver  through  a  wave,  if 
the  river  runs  with  an  inner  voice.  Does  a  swallow 
seem  to  chase  itself  with  its  own  wild  will?  Does 
a  cloud  cling  all  night  to  a  hillside,  and  with  the 
dawn,  ascending,  let  the  day  strike  where  it  clung? 
Does  swimming  vapor  slope  across  a  glen,  and,  put- 
ting forth  an  arm,  creep  from  pine  to  pine?  Does 
a  cedar  spread  dark-green  layers  of  shade  ?  Is  there 
such  a  sight  as  yellow  sails  upon  a  yellow  sea? 
Tennyson  spent  every  summer  from  his  childhood 
up  by  the  ocean.  Some  one  who  doubted  his 
accuracy  on  this  last  description  of  home  scenery, 
went  once  to  observe,  and  came  back  a  wiser,  if  dis- 
comfited, critic. 

Jane  Taylor 

(1783-1824) 

Twinkle,  Twinkle,  Little  Star  is  as  much  a  classic 
as  Mary  Had  a  Little  Lamb,  and  is  as  well  known  in 
America,  though  Tivinkle,  Tivinkle  is  British.  The 
author,  Jane  Taylor,  was  born  in  Red  Lion  Street, 
London,  of  a  literary  family.  Soon  after  Jane's 
birth,  the  family  moved  to  the  country,  and  in  time 


126  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

became  known  to  fame  and  to  history  as  the  Taylors 
of  Ongar,  in  distinction  from  the  Taylors  of  Nor- 
wich, who  were  also  literary. 

A  family  of  writers.  The  father,  the  mother,  the 
brother,  the  sister,  and  Jane  herself,  the  youngest 
daughter  of  the  Taylors  of  Ongar,  all  wrote,  all 
became  prominent  as  contributors  to  magazines  for 
young  people,  and  as  authors  of  books  for  children 
and  of  instructive  composition  in  general.  It  is  said 
that  the  literary  productiveness  of  Isaac  Taylor  of 
Ongar,  his  collaterals  and  their  descendants,  led  Sir 
Francis  Galton  in  his  inquiry  into  the  laws  and  con- 
sequences of  heredity  and  genius  (1869)  to  illustrate 
from  the  history  of  this  family  his  theory  of  the  dis- 
tribution through  heredity  of  intellectual  capacity. 

The  home  a  college.  It  may  be  that  the  great 
anthropologist  forgot  the  importance  of  environ- 
ment, but  it  is  evident  that  environment  counted  for 
much  in  the  accomplishment  of  this  family.  First 
the  father,  an  expert  engraver  and  at  the  same  time 
a  non-conformist  preacher,  maintained  at  home  a 
strict  system  of  education  for  his  children,  watch- 
ing over  them  in  their  work  and  play.  Very  little 
time  was  wasted.  Books  were  read  aloud  at  meals 
as  in  a  monastery.  Beautiful  charts  engraved  by 
the  father  were  used  by  the  children  in  studying 
their  history.  They  would  insert  names  and  dates 
and  other  small  bits  of  information,  and  in  turn 
themselves  learned  engraving  as  well  as  history. 


JANE  TAYLOR  127 

The  brother  learned  also  to  paint,  and  later  engraved 
designs  for  his  father's  and  sisters'  books,  and 
painted  miniatures,  an  excellent  one  of  Jane,  which 
is  carefully  preserved  by  the  British  government, 
as  are  also  beautiful  examples  of  the  father's  work. 
His  delicate  set  of  designs  for  Thomson's  Seasons, 
for  instance,  can  be  found  in  the  display  of  engrav- 
ings in  the  British  Museum. 

Poetry  not  encouraged.  The  children's  play  was 
as  intense  and  jolly  as  their  work;  but,  strange  to 
say,  neither  the  father  nor  the  mother  encouraged 
verse  making.  Jane  and  Ann  used  to  indulge  in 
it  on  the  side.  They  were  always  imagining  stories 
and  drafting  introductions  and  prefaces  for  books, 
sometimes  in  verse.  Jane's  first  practical  use  of  her 
talent  was  in  the  form  of  a  request  to  her  parents 
for  a  small  garden  for  herself.  She  presented  her 
argument  in  "five  well-tuned  stanzas,  in  the  metre 
of  John  Gilpin/'  Jane 's  first  printed  poem  was  The 
Beggar's  Boy,  appearing  in  1804  in  a  small  annual 
called  The  Minor's  Pocket  Booh,  to  which  her  sister 
had  been  correspondent  for  six  years. 

Beginning  of  children's  literature.  In  1804,  also, 
a  number  of  Jane's  poems  appeared  between  the 
covers  of  a  book — that  epoch-making  little  volume 
succinctly  entitled,  Original  Poems  for  Infant  Minds 
by  several  young  Persons.  The  several  young 
persons  were  Jane,  Ann,  and  their  brother  Isaac. 
This  book  marked  the  beginning  of  the  era  of  good 


128  PEIMAKY  EEADING  AND  LITEEATUEE 

literature  for  children.  The  world  immediately  saw 
what  had  been  lacking,  and  recognized  the  sugges- 
tiveness  and  worth  of  this  .contribution.  The 
volume  was  almost  immediately  reprinted  in  Amer- 
ica, and  was  translated  into  German,  Dutch,  and 
Eussian.  It  ran  through  fifty  editions  in  England 
alone  before  the  century  was  out. 

Rhymes  for  the  Nursery,  by  the  Authors  of 
"Original  Poems/'  appeared  in  1806,  and  Hymns 
for  Infant  Minds  some  time  afterwards.  The  Hymns 
ran  through  one  hundred  editions  in  England,  and 
is,  perhaps,  all  in  all,  the  best  contribution  of  the 
little  firm  of  authors.  Jane's  hymns  are  said  to  be 
less  good  as  literature  than  her  sister's,  though  they 
are  all  simple  and  direct.  It  is  a  question  how 
appropriate  the  term  ' '  literature ' '  is  for  any  instruc- 
tive or  pedagogical  writing,  however  popular  and 
however  enduring;  but  perhaps  with  the  qualifying 
phrase  "for  children"  the  work  of  these  sisters  may 
be  called  real  literature. 

The  year  Ann  began  to  write  for  the  Minor's 
Pocket  Book  was  the  year  of  the  Lyrical  Ballads  by 
Wordsworth  and  Coleridge,  which  ushered  into  the 
larger  field  of  English  letters  the  age  of  simplicity 
in  diction  and  thought.  Part  of  the  popularity  of 
the  songs  for  children  by  the  Taylor  sisters  was  con- 
sequent, therefore,  no  doubt,  upon  the  larger  move- 
ment and  the  preparation  of  the  public  mind  for 
simple  things.     It  is  noteworthy  that  Ann's  best 


AESOP  129 

verse  in  the  1804  volume  is  called  My  Mother;  and 
Jane's,  The  Cow  and  the  Ass.  To  those  who  know 
the  Lyrical  Ballads  this  choice  of  subject  is  re- 
vealing. 

The  best  edition  of  Ann  and  Jane's  verse  may  be 
found  in  libraries  today  under  the  title  Poetical 
Works  by  Ann  and  Jane  Taylor.  It  is  one  volume, 
containing  the  ( Original  Poems,  Rhymes,  and  Hymns. 
Twinkle,  Twinkle,  Little  Star  is  tenth  in  this  book. 

During  the  last  twelve  years  of  her  life,  Jane  lived 
with  her  brother  at  Ifracombe.  After  her  death  he 
wrote  a  beautiful  and  manelously  delicate  memoir 
of  her.1  Jane  Taylor's  portrait  was  displayed  at 
the  Chicago  "World's  Fair  in  1893  in  the  Gallery  of 
Distinguished  English  Women. 


Aesop 

(-619? --564?) 

Aesop  is  a  legendary  person.  No  one  is  quite  sure 
when  he  lived.  Tradition  places  him  somewhere  in 
the  sixth  century  before  Christ  as  a  counsellor  at 
the  court  of  Croesus,  the  Lydian  king.  He  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  a  Greek  slave  and  very  ugly, 
and  to  have  won  his  way  to  recognition  by  his  wit  in 
telling  a  story  and  applying  the  moral. 

Stories  written  by  another.     Aesop  wrote  noth- 

i  Memoirs  and  Correspondence  of  Jane  Taylor,  London,  1825.     In 

two  volumes. 


130  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

ing,  it  is  said,  but  his  fame  lived  and  his  stories 
lived.  The  individual  narratives  circulated  orally 
at  first.  Finally,  in  1447  Planudes,  a  monk  of  Con- 
stantinople, put  forth  in  prose  a  collection  of  about 
three  hundred  stories,  which  today  bears  the  name 
Aesop.  That  collection  is,  no  doubt,  the  source  of 
the  fables  in  our  readers. 

Stories  widely  scattered.  These  fables  spread  all 
over  the  ancient  world.  One  is  not  surprised  to  find 
The  Boy  and  the  Fox  and  The  Town  Mouse  and  the 
Country  Mouse  called  Norse  tales ;  they  are  no  doubt 
Norse  Aesopian  fables.  They  are  told  in  every 
tongue.  The  Filipinos  have  an  analogue  about  a 
jar  of  cooked  rice  that  a  boy  kicked  and  upset  just 
as  he  was  dreaming  of  the  fortune  he  should  make 
out  of  it.  The  boy  and  the  jar  are  Aesop's  girl 
and  the  basket  of  eggs  at  home  in  the  Pacific.  The 
Town  Mouse  and  the  Country  Mouse  has  always 
proved  attractive  to  literary  men.  In  the  fifteenth 
century  it  was  done  into  Chaucerian  stanzas  by 
Henryson  in  his  book  of  Morall  Fables  of  Esope 
the  Phrygian,  and  was  there  called  The  Uplondish 
Mous  and  the  Berger  Mous.  It  was  done  again  by 
Prior  and  Montague  in  the  latter  part  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  and  pointed  in  satire  at  Dryden. 

The  use  of  the  fable.  The  fable  as  a  type  of  nar- 
rative has  always  been  used  for  satire.  It  is  the 
prime  didactic  form,  brief,  neat,  symbolic.  Some- 
times it  has  a  maxim  attached,  and  sometimes  it  has 


HANS  CHRISTIAN  ANDERSEN  131 

not;  but  the  lesson  is  always  clear  and  acute  and 
always  practical.  There  are  three  classes  of  fables: 
(1)  the  rational,  in  which  the  actors  and  speakers 
are  solely  human  beings  or  the  gods  of  mythology 
living  as  human  beings;  (2)  the  non-rational,  in 
which  the  heroes  are  solely  animals,  vegetables,  or 
inanimate  objects;  and  (3)  the  mixed,  in  which  men 
speak  with  animals  or  inanimate  objects.  The 
second  class  is  called  the  Beast  Fable  and  is  perhaps 
the  most  popular. 

It  is  a  question  whether  the  word  " Aesop' '  did 
not  originally  signify  just  what  our  word  " fable' ' 
signifies  today — a  type  of  narrative,  not  a  man. 

Hans  Christian  Andersen 

(1805-1875) 

In  Hans  Christian  Andersen  the  world  has  at  last 
caught  the  folk-story  author  at  his  work.  We  can 
name  him,  and  definitely  locate  him  in  place  and 
time,  and  feel  in  so  far  very  well  satisfied.  And  yet 
there  is  something  about  this  strange  figure  which 
we  do  not  comprehend,  just  as  there  is  something 
weird  and  fascinating  about  ancient  folk  stories 
which  we  shall  never  comprehend.  We  know  that 
Andersen  was  born  in  the  Danish  city  of  Odense, 
April  2,  1805,  of  poor  and  shiftless  parents;  that  he 
went  up  to  Copenhagen  to  learn  to  be  a  dramatic 
writer  and  failed;  and  that,  holding  a  scholarship 


132  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

granted  him  by  the  king  in  order  that  he  might  pre- 
pare for  the  university,  he  showed  himself  neither 
brilliant  nor  docile;  and  that  finally  he  became 
famous,  visiting  the  great  and  the  near-great  and 
being  visited  by  them  in  return;  and  witnessed  one 
day  when  he  had  a  frightful  toothache  and  could 
not  enjoy  things  very  much,  a  literary  jubilee  in 
which  he  was  honored  as  a  writer  of  the  first  rank 
of  one  kind  of  composition;  and  saw  later  a  monu- 
ment erected  to  him  in  his  lifetime,  and  died  August 
1,  1875,  in  quite  a  definite  way  and  was  followed  to 
his  grave  by  a  magnificent  state  funeral  procession. 
Yet,  we  say,  though  we  know  this  history,  there  is 
something  elusive  and  mysterious  about  Hans  Chris- 
tian Andersen. 

Disliked  the  work  he  did.  He  fretted  all  his  life 
because  he  could  not  write  novels  and  dramas.  He 
did  children's  stories  and  became  noted  for  them 
against  his  will.  He  chafed  under  the  fact,  but  kept 
writing  out  his  graceful,  juvenile  fancies  for  thirty- 
seven  years.  He  could  not  stop  if  he  would,  it 
seemed.  Strange  to  say,  also,  he  was  not  fond  of 
children,  nor  they  of  him  when  they  met  him, 
though  they  always  loved  his  charming  letters.  His 
appearance  was  anything  but  prepossessing:  he  was 
"limp,  ungainly,  awkward,  odd,  with  long  lean 
limbs,  broad  flat  hands,  and  feet  of  striking  size. 
His  eyes  were  small  and  deep-set,  his  nose  very 
large,  his  neck  very  long."    By  some  trick  of  fate, 


HANS  CHRISTIAN  ANDERSEN  133 

some  wicked  decree  of  a  malicious  witch,  he  was 
destined  to  be  always  the  loathly  one  of  fairy  tales, 
the  prince  in  disguise.  Perhaps  he  was,  rather,  the 
airy  fancy  of  eternal  childhood  embodied  for  once 
and  walking  among  us,  but  in  ugly  encasement,  lest 
the  Danes  should  wish  to  keep  it  forever  for  them- 
selves, held  a  prisoner  in  their  own  small  country. 

A  wanderer.  Hans  Christian  Andersen,  the  boy, 
the  young  man,  the  mature  adult,  never  had  a  home 
until  he  was  sixty-one  years  old.  He  wandered  all 
over  Europe  and  the  near  East,  writing  travel 
sketches  and  attempting  novels  and  dramas.  The 
best  of  the  travel  books  is  In  Sweden  (1849),  the 
best  of  the  novels  is  Only  a  Fiddler  (1837).  This 
grown-up  person  took  no  part  in  the  politics  of  the 
day  and  never  seemed  to  understand  other  grown- 
up persons  and  their  ways,  though  the  spirit  within 
longed  as  a  child  longs  to  be  famous  among  them. 

Hans  Christian  Andersen  the  spirit  never  grew 
ii]).  It  was  always  a  child,  a  little  bit  spoiled,  a 
little  bit  petulant,  not  comprehending  its  own  genius, 
not  knowing  its  own  happiness,  but  sweet  and  good 
and  lovable  when  expressing  itself  naturally.  It 
lives  and  breathes  and  has  a  home  forever  in  the 
Picture  Book  Without  Pictures  and  the  Tales  and 
Stories  for  children. 

Stories  are  childlike.  They  are  not  so  much  for 
children,  these  stories,  as  they  are  of  children.  They 
take  liberties  with  the  language  as  children  do:  they 


134  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

make  mistakes  in  rhetoric  and  syntax  as  children 
do ;  they  use  the  ohs  and  ahs  of  the  nursery  and  sub- 
stitute action  and'  imitation  for  description;  and, 
withal,  have  a  teasing  suggestion  of  rationality  and 
worldly  wisdom  about  them  as  children  sometimes 
have.  Above  all,  we  say,  they  possess  an  air  of 
eternality,  a  semblance  of  having  come  from  far 
back  in  time  and  of  going  far  forward,  not  indeed 
as  children  have — for  children  do  not  live  forever — 
but  as  childhood  has.  The  faults  of  the  stories  have 
many  times  been  catalogued,  but  each  assayer 
finally  stops  off  with  the  general  summary:  ' 'Per- 
fect of  their  kind!  No  one  else  puts  himself  so 
wholly  in  the  child's  place  and  looks  at  nature  so 
wholly  with  the  child's  eyes  as  Andersen."  This 
consensus  of  opinion  seems  to  establish  our  theory. 
It  may  be  that  Hans  Christian  Andersen  was  merely 
childhood  writing  itself  down. 

Mary  Howitt's  translation  of  Andersen's  stories 
introduced  them  into  England  (1843-1846).  A  later 
translation  was  made  by  Somers  (1893). 

The  Fir  Tree  and  Little  Maia,  modern  "  fairy 
tales,"  are  not  Hans  Christian  Andersen  at  his  best, 
but  The  Brave  Tin  Soldier  is.  That  little  story  has 
become  a  classic,  loved  by  grown  folk,  perhaps,  more 
than  by  children.  It  reveals  all  of  Andersen's  quali- 
ties. For  absorbing  interest,  children  would  doubt- 
less choose  The  Tinder  Box  or  Big  Claus  and  Little 
Claus;  but  the  bits  of  philosophy  uttered  by  the  Tin 


KOBERT  LOUIS  STEVENSON  135 

Soldier  and  implied  throughout  his  story  draw  the 
mature  reader  back  and  back  again  to  a  contempla- 
tion of  the  artless  art  of  the  narrative. 


Robert  Louis  Stevenson 

(1850-1894) 

Robert  Louis  Stevenson  seems  to  people  of  this 
country  very  companionable  and  brotherly,  very 
much  American.  He  married  an  American  and 
lived  in  the  United  States  two  or  more  years.  For 
Scribner's  Magazine  he  did  some  of  his  best  work. 
It  was  an  American  publisher,  Mr.  S.  S.  McClure, 
who  advanced  the  means  enabling  Stevenson  to  start 
his  cruise  in  the  Pacific  and  build  his  home  Vailima 
near  Apia,  Samoa,  in  the  South  Seas.  Mrs.  Steven- 
son still  lives  in  California,  as  does  also  Lloyd 
Osbourne,  Stevenson's  step-son,  a  joint  author  with 
him  in  a  few  stories. 

His  personality.  Stevenson,  however,  was  a 
Scotchman  by  birth  and  predilection.  He  came  of 
a  line  of  civil  engineers  and  lighthouse  builders, 
sturdy,  moral  folk,  who  served  the  world  seriously 
and  well.  It  was  the  moral  fiber,  inherited  and 
cultivated,  and  the  tough  Scotch  persistence  of  the 
lighthouse  builders  that  made  Eobert  Louis  come 
through  successfully  so  many  hard  fought  battles 
with  (lenth,  and  enabled  him  to  smile  grimly  at  each 
weak  triumph.    Stevenson's  continued  plucky  fight 


136  PEIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

won  him  many  friends.  His  fine  cheerful  spirit, 
his  merry  appreciation  of  life  in  general  (which  was 
so  often  hard  and  cruel  with  him),  his  devotion  to 
his  art  against  all  hazards,  and  his  romantic  career 
brought  him  more  fame  than  his  literary  produc- 
tions brought  him  or  will  bring  him,  though  his 
productions  are  all  but  of  the  first  order  if  not  of 
the  first. 

Versatility.  What  is  implied  in  the  last  state- 
ment is  that  Stevenson  was  particularly  a  stylist, 
but  no  one  lives  by  style  alone.  The  charm  of  his 
personality  is  what  makes  this  man  immortal.  It 
is  constantly  noted  with  wonder  that  his  fame  is 
disproportionate  with  the  numerical  circulation  of 
his  works.  He  i '  handled  with  distinction  nearly  all 
the  known  forms"  of  writing,  but  not  one  of  his 
creations  stands  out  so  plainly  in  our  minds  as 
Stevenson  himself  stands.  It  is  not  only  because 
Stevenson  is  near  us  in  time  that  we  know  him. 
Most  of  us  never  saw  him,  and  he  has  been  lying 
in  his  lofty  grave  now  overlooking  the  sea  for 
twenty  years.  The  world  remembers  him  because 
he  expressed  himself  and  his  own  peculiar  way  of 
thinking  in  all  he  wrote.  Whether  some  of  his 
essays  are  mannered,  or  not,  is  beside  the  point. 
They  are  surely  his  essays  and  not  another  man's, 
and  successive  sets  of  readers  will  continue  to  enjoy 
them — especially  will  young  readers,  trained  to  an 
appreciation  of  niceties  of  diction.    Part  of  Steven- 


KOBERT  LOUIS  STEVENSON  137 

son's  mission  was  to  induce  the  modern  public  to 
like  delicacies. 

His  best  writings.  He  wrote  with  a  naked,  bold 
hand  sometimes,  and  affected  the  unstudied  romance 
like  Treasure  Island,  which  brought  him  his  first 
popularity  (1882)  ;  and  Kidnapped,  a  semi-historical 
murder  case;  and  the  sensational  delineation  of  a 
dual  personality,  Dr.  Jekyll  and  Mr.  Hyde,  which 
was  published  as  a  "shilling  shocker*'  (1886)  and 
succeeded.  But  after  all,  in  spite  of  his  instant 
popularity  in  it  and  his  standing  as  a  leader  calling 
youm;'  writers  back  to  romance,  Stevenson  is  pri- 
marily an  analyst  and  a  discriminating  weigher  of 
motives.  Two  of  the  strongest  tales  in  Scottish 
literature  are  his  Thrawn  Janet  and  The  Merry  Men, 
one  "a  study  of  satanic  possession,' '  and  the  other 
of  "conscience  and  imagination  haunted  to  the 
overthrow  of  reason  by  the  terrors  of  the  sea." 
Marhheim,  done  for  Unwin's  Christmas  Annual  in 
America,  is  another  such  study.  The  Master  of 
Ballantrae,  the  scenes  of  which  are  partly  laid  in 
the  country  around  Saranac  Lake  in  the  Adiron- 
dacks,  where  the  Stevensons  spent  the  winter  of 
1887-1888,  is  at  once  also  one  of  the  writer's  best 
tales  and  one  of  his  most  vivid  and  searching  delin- 
eations of  mental  states.  No;  Stevenson  was  no 
loose-jointed,  cheap  romancer,  but  always  the  artist, 
and  especially  the  artist  in  words.  One  is  impressed 
by  his  phrases  more  than  by  the  whole  piece. 


138  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

His  aptness  of  phrase  and  his  quaint  fancy  are 
the  charm  of  A  Child's  Garden  of  Verse.  Though 
his  rhymes  are  meager  and  often  repeated,  they  are 
exquisite  and  delightful  at  their  best,  and  the  poet 's 
attitude  is  impeccably  naive  and  sweet.  Critics  have 
said  that  in  all  his  varied  composition  Stevenson 
invented  no  new  form  of  literary  expression,  unless 
the  verses  of  A  Child's  Garden  may  be  so  considered. 

These  verses  were  begun  in  1883  in  the  chalet  "La 
Solitude,"  a  little  house  with  a  pleasant  garden  on 
a  hill  behind  Hyeres  in  France,  where  the  writer, 
for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  passed  a  respite  of 
nearly  a  year  from  acute  illness.  They  were  finished 
in  1885  at  "  Skerryvore, ' '  the  house  bought  and 
given  him  by  his  father  in  hope  that  the  author  could 
continue  to  live  in  the  land  of  his  birth ;  but  he  could 
not.  Hemorrhages  and  prostration  occasioned  by 
the  climate  drove  him  out.  Stevenson  called  his 
Scotch  home  ' '  Skerryvore ' 9  after  the  famous  light- 
house designed  by  his  Uncle  Alan. 

The  search  for  health.  Kobert  Louis  Stevenson's 
search  for  health  is  well  known.  It  was  remarkable 
for  the  sick  man's  jaunty  courage  and  his  unremit- 
ting labor  meanwhile.  He  never  complained.  After 
his  father 's  death  in  1887,  he  sailed  with  his  mother, 
wife,  and  step-son  for  New  York.  He  spent  the 
winter  at  Saranac,  and  began  his  cruise  of  the 
Pacific,  June  26,  1888,  in  the  schooner-yacht  Casco 
(Captain  Otis).     He  touched  at  various  ports  and 


ROBERT  LOUIS  STEVENSON  139 

remained  six  months  at  Honolulu,  from  January  to 
June,  1889.  From  there  he  set  off  in  a  rough  trad- 
ing vessel,  the  Equator,  and  found  himself  in  the 
harbor  of  Apia,  Samoa,  at  Christmas  time.  He 
liked  the  climate  so  well  that  he  purchased  four  hun- 
dred acres  on  the  mountain  side,  had  a  clearing 
made,  and  his  frame  house  erected,  which  later  re- 
ceived an  addition.  He  called  his  home  "Vailima,,, 
or  Five  Rivers.  He  brought  out  his  mother,  whom 
he  had  left  at  Honolulu,  and  settled  down  in  com- 
parative health  and  great  peace  and  happiness  with 
his  wife,  his  mother,  his  step-son,  and  later  his  step- 
daughter, who  acted  as  an  amanuensis. 

The  new  lord  was  kind  to  the  natives,  and  became 
very  popular  among  them.  They  considered  him  a 
chief,  and  came  to  him  for  advice.  He  served  them 
with  devotion  and  political  wisdom,  redressing  their 
wrongs.  He  gathered  his  immediate  retainers  about 
him  daily  for  family  prayers.  Some  of  the  beauti- 
ful things  he  said  for  them  are  published  in  the  tiny 
volume  called  Prayers  Written  for  Family  Use  at 
Yailima,  edited  by  Mrs.  Stevenson  after  her  hus- 
band's death. 

Stevenson  worked  early  and  late  at  Vailima,  for 
he  was  never  finally  freed,  as  Tennyson  was,  from 
the  gnawing  anxiety  of  money-getting.  In  January, 
1893,  he  had  a  stroke  of  illness  accompanied  with 
bronchitis,  and  was  both  unable  and  forbidden  to 
talk.    He  carried  his  work  gaily  on,  however,  dictat- 


140  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

ing  in  the  deaf-and-dumb  alphabet  the  story  he  had 
been  writing.  The  next  December  he  died.  Death 
came  qnite  unexpectedly  with  the  rupture  of  a  blood- 
vessel in  the  brain;  but  he  went  as  he  would  have 
wished,  gaily,  conversing  with  his  wife.  He  had 
been  working  hard  all  the  morning  on  his  half- 
finished  book,  Hermiston,  which  he  judged  the  best 
he  had  ever  written,  and  had  come  to  her,  as  he 
always  came,  for  criticism  and  confirmation.  He 
had  received  it;  and  they  were  celebrating  Steven- 
son 's  consciousness  of  his  full  powers,  when  he  was 
taken  suddenly,  falling  on  his  knees  at  her  feet.  He 
was  buried  the  next  day  on  a  narrow  shelf  of  rock 
on  the  summit  of  Mount  Vaea,  whither  he  was  car- 
ried by  his  devoted  native  friends,  forty  of  them 
cutting  a  path  up  the  steep  face  of  the  mountain, 
and  twenty  others  of  the  more  immediate  household 
preceding  to  dig  the  grave  or  following  bearing  the 
coffin  shoulder-high  up  the  rugged  way.  Nineteen 
Europeans  and  sixty  Samoans  climbed  the  height. 
All  night  long  before,  the  Samoans  had  watched  at 
his  side,  kneeling  and  kissing  his  hand  each  in  turn 
before  taking  up  the  watch,  and  all  the  morning  they 
and  their  relatives  and  friends  had  brought  flowers 
and  rare  mats  as  offerings  to  the  chief  whom  they 
loved,  their  Tusitala,  teller  of  tales. 

Stevenson  wrote  his  own  Requiem.  One  need  say 
nothing  of  how  fine  it  is :  the  brave  man  speaks  for 
himself : 


SIR  JAMES  MATHEW  BARRIE  141 

Under  the  wide  and  starry  sky, 
Dig  the  grave  and  let  me  lie. 
Glad  did  I  live  and  gladly  die, 
And  I  laid  me  down  with  a  will. 

This  be  the  verse  you  grave  for  me : 
Here  he  lies  where  he  longed  to  be; 
Home  is  the  sailor,  home  from  sea, 
And  the  hunter  home  from  the  hill. 


Sir  James  Mathew  Barrie 

(Born  1860) 

Barrie,  "that  modest  little  man,"  as  everyone  is 
prompted  to  call  him  behind  his  back,  whatever  may 
be  the  correct  appellation  to  his  face,  was  born  in 
Scotland,  the  realm  that  has  given  us  more  than 
one  lovable  author — "Bobbie  Burns,"  "Sir  Wal- 
ter," "R.  L.  S.,"  and,  not  least  by  any  means, 
"Barrie."  Sir  James  M.  Barrie,  the  author  of 
A  Window  in  Thrums  (1889),  The  Little  Minister 
(1891),  Margaret  Ogilvy  and  Sentimental  Tommy 
(1896),  Tommy  and  Grizel  (1900),  The  Little  White 
Bird  (1902),  Peter  Pan  in  Kensington  Gardens 
(1906),  Peter  and  Wendy  (1911),  and  other  delec- 
table compositions  before  and  since. 

Barrie  has  made  more  money  by  his  pen  than  has 
any  other  single  living  author.  He  has  taken  the 
stage  by  storm,  perhaps  one  would  better  say,  by 
sweetness   and  light.     His  dramas  are  The  Pro- 


142  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

fessor's  Love  Story  (1895),  The  Little  Minister 
(adapted— 1897),  The  Wedding  Guest  (1900),  Qual- 
ity Street,  The  Admirable  Crichton,  Little  Mary 
(1903),  Peter  Pan  (1904),  Alice-sit-by -the- fire 
(1905),  What  Every  Woman  Knows  (1908),  The 
Legend  of  Leonora,  The  Mill,  The  Adored  One 
(1913). 

Auld  Licht  Idylls,  When  a  Man's  Single,  A  Win- 
dow in  Thrums,  The  Little  Minister,  Sentimental 
Tommy,  and  Margaret  Ogilvy  are  said  to  have  auto- 
biographical material  in  them.  All  good  books 
have,  of  course.  The  quiet,  delightful  home  living 
of  a  Scotch  mother  and  her  son  is  portrayed  in 
Margaret  Ogilvy. 

Barrie  is  still  writing  and  is  at  the  height  of  his 
powers.  He  had  his  schooling  at  Dumfries  Academy 
and  Edinburgh  University. 

Eliza  Lee  Cabot  Follen 

(1787-1860) 

Eliza  Lee  Cabot  Follen  is  remembered  as  a  writer 
of  anti-slavery  hymns  and  songs,  as  editor  of  The 
Child's  Friend,  and  as  the  author  of  a  volume  of 
poems  and  of  the  memoirs  (five  volumes)  of  her 
husband,  Dr.  Follen.  Dr.  Follen  was  at  one  time 
professor  of  German  literature  at  Harvard,  and 
before  that  appointment  had  escaped  to  America 
as  a  refugee  from  Switzerland,  whither  he  had  fled 


CHARLES  KINGSLEY  143 

from  the  government  detectives  of  Russia,  Austria, 
and  Prussia,  who  wanted  him  (1824)  for  having  dis- 
seminated revolutionary  doctrines  in  their  realms. 
Like  his  wife,  Dr.  Follen  became,  under  the  inspira- 
tion of  William  Ellery  Channing,  a  zealous  opponent 
of  slavery  and  a  unitarian  in  faith.  Dr.  Follen  lost 
his  place  at  Harvard  because  of  his  outspoken  views, 
and  for  the  remainder  of  his  life,  a  short  time,  de- 
voted himself  almost  entirely  to  the  anti-slavery 
movement.  He  died  in  an  accident  in  1831,  leaving 
to  Mrs.  Follen  the  support  and  education  of  their 
son.  Mrs.  Follen  proved  equal  to  the  task,  prepar- 
ing successfully  her  own  son  and  a  number  of  other 
pupils  for  Harvard. 

Mrs.  Follen  wrote,  besides  the  books  already  men- 
tioned, Well-spent  Hour  (1827),  The  Skeptic  (1835), 
Twilight  Stories  (1858),  and  Home  Dramas  (1859). 

Charles  Kingsley 

(1819-1875) 

Charles  Kingsley  was  born  and  bred  an  English 
country  gentleman,  but  he  was  made  a  thorough  aris- 
tocrat at  heart  by  a  brutal  sight  he  witnessed  when 
he  was  a  boy  of  twelve.  He  was  attending  grammar 
school  at  Bristol,  and  from  a  window  looked  down 
on  the  besotted,  unreasoning  action  of  the  mobs  in 
the  Bristol  riots.  Later  he  became  a  clergyman  and 
a  philanthropist  of  much  renown,  but  he  never  for- 


144  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

got  this  unfortunate  experience.  He  was  a  delicate, 
sensitive  child  at  the  time  and  very  reserved — 
" proud,"  his  schoolmates  said.  They  did  not  like 
him,  nor  understand  him.  He  was  not  fond  of  regu- 
lar sports,  as  most  English  boys  are,  but  preferred 
to  make  long  excursions  for  plants  or  geological 
specimens.  Later,  when  a  member  of  Magdalene 
College,  Cambridge,  he  was  better  liked,  because 
better  understood.  Indeed,  he  became  popular  when 
he  indulged  in  rowing  and  boxing.  He  still  enjoyed 
long  excursions  into  the  country,  but  made  them 
now  as  part  of  his  course  in  equestrian  lectures  on 
geology.  Kingsley  was  not  a  close  student,  though 
he  won  some  honors  in  mathematics  and  the  classics 
during  the  latter  part  of  his  college  days. 

Curate  and  professor  of  history.  He  took  orders 
when  he  was  twenty-three,  and  went  as  a  country 
curate  to  a  desolate,  uncultivated,  poor,  illiterate, 
and  unwholesome  parish  on  the  borders  of  Windsor 
forest.  Here  he  married,  here  he  established  his 
home,  here  he  finally  died,  after  working  very  hard 
with  true  and  profound  sympathy  for  the  poor. 
Kingsley  did  not  live  so  long  as  he  would  have  lived 
had  he  taken  more  vacations  and  devoted  himself 
less  assiduously  to  his  "duties."  He  tried  to  teach 
the  dumb-headed  to  read,  the  careless  to  think,  the 
wicked  to  cease  their  stealing  and  be  good,  the  wan- 
derers to  settle  down  and  prosper,  and  many  un- 
satisfied and  restless  characters  to  accept  Christian- 


CHAKLES  KINGSLEY  145 

ity  and  be  at  peace.  Yet  Kingsley  had  his  own 
doubts,  and  went  through  periods  of  much  stress 
and  anxiety. 

For  nine  years  (1860-18G9)  he  was  professor  of 
modern  history  at  Cambridge,  going  up  from  his 
parish  for  his  lectures;  but  though  he  did  the  young 
men  much  good  as  an  inspiring  friend,  he  found  the 
work  unsatisfactory  finally  and  his  own  tempera- 
ment unsuited  to  the  new  spirit  of  precise  scholar- 
ship abroad  in  the  faculty.  He  withdrew  to  concen- 
trate his  efforts  on  his  writing  and  his  parish  work. 

Preaching  and  writing.  In  1859  Kingsley  was 
appointed  chaplain  to  Queen  Victoria,  and  later 
received  a  canonry  at  Chester,  which  was  exchanged 
in  1873  for  one  at  Westminster.  As  a  preacher, 
Kingsley  is  said  to  have  been  vivid  and  earnest, 
speaking  out  as  plainly  to  the  nobility,  and  fashion- 
able folk  as  to  the  poor.  He  had  the  virtue  also  of 
being  unsentimental  and  not  mawkish  when  address- 
ing the  common  people.  The  Message  of  the  Church 
to  Working  Men  is  one  of  his  great  speeches,  and  his 
Twenty-five  Village  Sermons,  preached  early  in  his 
life  at  Eversley,  are  unsurpassed.  Some  of  Kings- 
ley's  socialistic  writings  have  not  been  published 
otherwise  than  as  they  appeared  originally  in  The 
Christian  Socialist  and  the  journal  called  Politics 
for  the  People.  Kingsley  had  a  son,  an  engineer  in 
America,  whom  he  visited  (1874).  While  here,  he 
preached  a  series  of  sermons  which  were  published 


146  PKIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

(1875)  under  the  title  Sermons  Delivered  in  America. 

The  novels,  like  everything  else  the  author  did, 
were  done  with  a  purpose.  They  appeared  as  fol- 
lows: Yeast  (1849),  Alton  Locke  (1849),  Hypatia 
(1859),  Westward  Ho  (1855),  At  Last  (1871).  The 
children's  books  were  also  done  with  a  purpose. 
The  moral  teacher  is  never  absent:  The  Heroes 
(Greek  Tales)  (1856),  Water-Babies  (1863),  Madam 
How  and  Lady  Why  (1869).  Kingsley's  poems  camo 
out  at  various  times.  They  can  be  found  in  a  two- 
volume  edition  (Macmillan,  1884). 

The  Lost  Doll  is  a  little  song  from  the  Water- 
Babies.  It  was  sung  by  the  fairy  Do-as-you-would  - 
be-done-by  when  she  was  cuddling  Tom  for  the  first 
time  (chap.  v).  All  the  other  babies  were  pleased 
with  the  ditty.  The  author  does  not  say  whether 
Tom  liked  it,  but  remarks,  "What  a  silly  song 
for  a  fairy  to  sing.  And  what  silly  water-babies  to 
be  quite  delighted  with  it!"  Hundreds  of  land- 
babies  seem  to  enjoy  it,  as  well. 

John  Kendrick  Bangs 

(Born  1862) 

John  Kendricks  Bangs  was  born  "forty-five  min- 
utes from  Broadway,' '  or,  in  other  words,  at 
Yonkers,  New  York.  One  thinks  of  him  as  a  city 
man  and  a  humorist,  though  he  did  the  common- 
wealth the  very  humdrum  and  substantial  service  of 


JOHN  KENDRICK  BANGS  147 

being  president  of  the  Halsted  School,  Yonkers,  for 
ten  years  (1894-1904).  He  has  served  on  the  edi- 
torial staff  of  the  following  periodicals:  Life, 
Drawer,  Literary  Notes,  Harper's  Magazine,  Liter- 
ature, Harper's  Weekly,  Metropolitan  Magazine, 
and  just  lately  Puck.  His  subjects  reveal  the  humor- 
ist. He  has  written  on  "The  Idiot,' '  "The  Idiot  at 
Home,"  "The  Inventions  of  the  Idiot,"  "Mr. 
Munchausen,"  "Mrs.  Baffles."  "The  Little  Elf," 
though  a  verse  selection,  represents  very  well  his 
light  touch. 

Bjornstjerne  Bjornson 

(1832-1910) 

Brandes,  the  Danish  critic,  once  said  that  to  name 
the  name  of  Bjornstjerne  Bjornson  is  like  hoisting 
the  Norwegian  flag.  Brandes  did  not  mean  merely 
that  the  name  is  truly  Norse,  but  that  the  personal- 
ity and  career  it  represents  are  also  Norse.  The 
flag  connotation  is  good,  for  Bjornson  was  an  intel- 
lectual militant,  fighting  to  win  for  his  countrymen 
a  national  consciousness  in  a  literature  distinct  and 
contributive.  He  worked  through  poetry,  stories, 
the  novel,  the  drama,  oratory,  and  personal  influence. 

Until  1814,  Norway  belonged  to  Denmark,  and 
until  then  the  literary  traditions  of  the  two  coun- 
tries were  one.  With  the  separation  began  an  intel- 
lectual stirring  in  the  North,  which  was  destined  to 
show  itself  in  force  in  the  next  generation.     The 


148  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

opening  of  the  first  great  era  in  Norwegian  letters 
is  marked  by  Bjornson 's  Synnove  Solbakken,1  1857, 
1 '  a  simple  tale  of  peasant  life,  an  idyl  of  the  love  of 
a  boy  and  girl,"  bnt  an  intimate  revelation  of  Nor- 
wegian character  in  a  style  at  once  realistic  and 
individual. 

His  great  work.  Bjornson  became  in  the  next 
fifteen  years  the  spokesman  of  his  race.  During 
that  time  he  wrote  dramas  founded  on  the  Norse 
sagas.  Sigurd  Slembe,  the  best,  has  been  termed  by 
one  of  Bjornson 's  admirers,  the  noblest  masterpiece 
of  all  modern  literature.  Bjornson  said  that  his 
style  was  founded  on  the  sagas ;  and  he  gave  as  the 
fundamental  principle  of  his  literary  method  the 
endeavor  "To  see  the  peasant  in  the  light  of  the 
sagas  and  the  sagas  in  the  light  of  the  peasant.' ' 
A  great  piece  of  writing  and  one  often  published  in 
collections  of  the  world's  best  short-stories  is  his 
sketch  called  "The  Father.' ' 

Bjornson  is  Norway's  greatest  lyric  poet.  He 
wrote  the  national  song,  "Yes,  We  Love  This  Land 
of  Ours."  He  wrote  other  songs  that  are  equally 
loved  by  Norwegians  and  known  by  heart.  A  friend 
once  asked  him  upon  what  occasion  he  had  felt  most 
fully  the  joy  of  being  a  poet.    He  said: 

"It  was  when  a  party  from  the  Right  in  Chris- 
tiania  came  to  my  house  and  smashed  all  my  win- 

i  Translated  by  Mary  Howitt  in  1858  under  the  title  ' '  Trust  and 
Trial" 


BJORNSTJERNE  BJORNSON  149 

dows.  For,  when  they  had  finished  their  assault 
and  were  starting  home  again,  they  felt  that  they 
must  sing  something,  and  consequently  began  to 
sing,  'Yes,  We  Love  This  Land  of  Ours.'  They 
couldn  't  help  themselves ;  they  had  to  sing  the  song 
of  the  man  they  had  attacked." 

Bjornson  was  active  in  politics  as  a  robust  re- 
former. He  vied  with  Ibsen  in  problem  plays  and 
preached  regeneration  with  as  searching  an  inten- 
sity. Bjornson  wrote  fourteen  such  plays,  which 
mark  the  second  period  of  his  leadership  of  his 
people.  "The  King''  is  thought  by  many  to  be  his 
greatest  dramatic  composition  with  a  modern  mes- 
sage. It  should  be  read  today  in  view  of  the  titanic 
European  struggle. 

"In  God's  Ways' '  is  one  of  Bjornson 's  great 
novels,  and  has  been  looked  upon  as  a  summary  of 
his  philosophy. 

William  Allingham 

(1828-1889) 

We  do  not  think  of  William  Allingham  as  an 
editor  of  a  magazine,  though  he  was,  of  Fraser's, 
for  many  years.  We  do  not  think  of  him  as  a  mem- 
ber of  a  literary  circle,  although  he  was,  of  one  that 
included  Buskin,  Carry le,  and  Tennyson.  We  do 
not  think  of  Allingham  as  a  critic  of  his  times  and 
a  friend  of  the  pre-Raphaelites,  though  he  was  both, 
and  warmly  admitted  by  them  to  their  councils.   We 


150  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

do  not  think  of  him  as  intellectually  like  Dante 
Gabriel  Eossetti  or  William  Morris,  though,  like 
them,  he  was  intellectually  of  other  streets  than  the 
streets  of  London. 

Much  less  do  we  think  of  William  Allingham  as  an 
Irish  coast  officer  of  customs,  or  a  clerk  in  a  bank. 
Though  he  was  all  these  identities  in  turn,  rising 
step  by  step  gradually  through  his  own  worth  and 
efforts  from  the  time  when  as  a  boy  of  fourteen  he 
entered  his  father's  employ,  unschooled,  and  began 
mastering  Greek,  Latin,  German,  and  French  alone, 
we  do  not  think  of  him  as  these.  We  think  of  him 
merely  as  a  wraith  of  song.  He  set  himself  free 
with  his  own  words — all  those  written  long  before, 
and  those  written  some  time  before,  and  read,  when 
his  body,  according  to  his  wish,  was  cremated  in 
1889: 

Body  to  purifying  flame, 

Soul  to  the  Great  Deep  whence  it  came, 

Leaving  a  song  on  earth  below, 

An  urn  of  ashes  white  as  snow. 

What  he  did  for  children.  No  one  has  written 
a  better  child's  song  than  Allingham 's  Fairy  Folk 
or  than  Robin  Redbreast.  No  one  has  sung  better 
of  ruined  chapels,  or  winter  pears,  or  bubbles.  No 
one  has  shown  a  lighter  touch  or  more  aerial  fancy. 
Fairy  Folk  has  in  it  the  quintessence  of  the  subject. 
It  is  true  to  the  Irish  conception  of  the  fairies,  more- 
over, suggesting  the  fear  and  the  attraction  they 


WILLIAM  ALLINGHAM  151 

inspire.  Three  indelible  pictures  are  drawn  in  three 
dainty  stanzas,  framed  in  repetition.  The  repetition 
is  itself  inspiriting  and  is  a  true  song  device. 

How  he  did  it.  If  we  think  of  the  singer  at  all 
and  not  only  of  his  poems,  we  think  of  him  in  his 
early  manhood,  going — even  then  like  a  wraith — up 
and  down,  unrecognized,  in  front  of  cottage  doors 
where  Irish  girls  sat  singing.  We  think  of  his 
listening,  of  his  taking  bits  out  of  the  mouths  of  the 
singers,  and  hurrying  home  and  finishing  a  ballad 
in  his  own  way,  and  bringing  or  sending  it  back  on 
a  long  strip  of  blue  paper  like  an  old  song,  and  then 
coming  again  and  hearing  it  sung  unconsciously  as 
an  ancient  ballad  by  the  same  Irish  girls  sitting 
singing  in  the  same  doorways. 

Or  we  like  best  to  think  of  him  as  he  liked  to  think 
of  himself  as  a  small  Irish  boy  at  home  in  an  out-of- 
the-way  little  town  on  the  extreme  edge  of  Europe — 
in  Ballyshannon,  County  Donegal,  Ireland.  He  has 
said  in  one  of  his  letters  that  he  loved  to  sit  in  the 
tiny  room  in  the  roof  where  the  tree  branches  met 
across  the  window  and  he  could  look  down  through 
them  into  the  garden  with  flowers  below.  A  little 
town  Ballyshannon  was,  in  his  memory,  with  a  river 
running  to  the  sea,  and  a  tide,  and  a  lake  with 
islands,  blue  mountains  in  the  distance,  trees,  boul- 
ders, windy  pastures,  clouds,  and  America  to  the 
west! 


THE  FOLK  TALES  OF  THE  SECOND  READER 

Boots  and  his  Brothers.  Boots  is  just  such  a  saga  hero 
as  is  the  lad  who  went  to  the  north  wind's  house.  He  is 
unafraid  and  inquisitive.  He  wants  to  know  the  why 
of  everything.  Because  he  persists  good-naturedly  in 
spite  of  taunts,  he  finds  out.  This  is  an  excellent  lesson 
for  the  schoolroom,  but  teachers  should  not,  of  course, 
fall  into  the  habit  of  preaching  and  of  using  every  story 
for  a  sermon.  Stories  were  invented  to  relieve  us  from 
preaching.  The  "moral"  of  this  tale  needs  no  emphasis. 
An  interesting  parallel  could  be  drawn  between  Boots 
and  Mr.  Edison.  The  marvels  attendant  upon  the  in- 
quiries of  the  one  are  not  so  great  as  the  marvels  attendant 
upon  the  inquiries  of  the  other.  For  Mr.  Edison,  not  only 
do  axes  hew  and  hack  and  spades  dig  and  delve  without 
man's  muscles  being  immediately  applied,  but  absent  per- 
sons talk  and  sing  as  if  present. 

The  Elves  and  the  Shoemaker  is  a  typical  folk  fairy- 
tale. It  is  one  of  a  group  published  by  Grimm  under  the 
title  "The  Elves"  (39).  It  is  called  "The  First  Story." 
The  others  are  called  "The  Second  Story"  and  "The 
Third  Story."  The  second  is  about  a  servant  girl  who  has 
a  sort  of  Rip  Van  Winkle  experience  with  the  elves;  and 
the  third  is  about  a  changeling.  Grimm's  versions  come 
from  Hesse,  but  in  the  notes  he  mentions  a  number  of 
variants.  Such  tales  are  numerous  in  the  south  of  Scot- 
land and  the  north  of  England.  Grimm  directs  attention 
to  a  peculiar  feature  of  elf  personality.  The  little  crea- 
tures disappear,  he  says,  if  clothes  are  given  to  them.    A 

152 


TALES  OF  THE  SECOND  HEADER  153 

little  sea-dwarf  will  have  none  of  them,  and  vanishes 
when  he  receives  them;  a  fairy  man  is  given  a  little  red 
coat,  is  delighted  with  it,  but  disappears.  The  cauld  lad 
of  Hilton,  who  set  himself  to  determine  the  good  qualities 
of  the  servants  of  Hilton  castle,  by  his  tricks  and  his  ways, 
was  himself  undone  at  length  through  a  little  green  cloak 
and  hood  which  were  laid  out  for  him.  He  seized  them  in 
delight. 

''Here's  a  cloak  and  there's  a  hood, 
And  the  cauld  lad  of  Hilton  will  do  no  more  good, ' ' 

said  he,  and  disappeared  forever.  Milton  has  enshrined 
the  "lubber-fiend"  of  the  kitchen  hearth  in  L 'Allegro. 

These  stories  are  fairy  tales  as  distinct  from  nursery 
sagas.    In  these  the  fairies  are  the  protagonists. 

Cinderella.  Three  hundred  and  forty-five  variants  of 
Cinderella  have  been  found.  They  are  tabulated  and  dis- 
cussed in  a  ponderous  volume  published  by  the  Folk-Lore 
Society  of  London  over  the  signature  of  Marion  Roalfe 
Cox,  with  an  introduction  by  Andrew  Lang.  It  is  needless 
to  say  that  the  story  is  an  important  one  and  seems  to 
have  hanging  to  its  skirts  almost  every  other  folk  tale  of 
the  ages.  "We  cannot  here  trace  the  variations,  nor  do  we 
wish  to.  We  will  note  only  the  fact  that  the  version  given 
in  the  school  readers  derives  from  Perrault  and  not  from 
Grimm.  The  distinctive  marks  of  Perrault  are  the  fairy 
god-mother,  the  pumpkin,  the  mice,  the  rat,  the  lizards, 
and  the  little  slipper  of  glass ;  also  the  admonition  to  leave 
the  ball  at  twelve  o'clock,  and  the  forgiveness  of  the 
haughty  sisters  by  the  gentle  Cinderella.  Grimm's  ver- 
sion is  much  more  primitive,  much  more  of  the  common 
people.  The  neglected  little  girl  weeps  over  her  mother's 
grave  and  plants  a  hazel  branch  on  it,  which  grows  into 
a  tree.    From  this  tree  drop  down  the  fine  clothes  and  the 


154  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

slippers  embroidered  in  silk  and  silver,  The  German  Cin- 
derella does  not  forgive  her  sisters,  who  cut  off  portions 
of  their  feet  in  trying  to  prove  that  they  can  wear  the 
slipper.  Instead  of  finding  forgiveness  or  success,  they 
have  their  perfidy  revealed  and  have  their  eyes  plucked 
out  by  the  pigeons  that  live  in  the  branches  of  the  hazel 
tree. 

Other  versions  are  still  more  harsh.  Andrew  Lang 
tells  us  that  the  Italian  Cinderella  breaks  her  step-moth- 
er's neck  with  the  lid  of  a  chest. 

Perrault 's  good  taste  in  the  promotion  of  the  story  is 
evident.  Some  antiquarians  would  find  fault  with  him 
for  bringing  the  narrative  to  the  drawing-room.  One's 
reply  can  only  be  that  Perrault  was  not  an  antiquarian, 
and  that  there  are  drawing-rooms  as  well  as  sculleries.  It 
would  seem  a  pity  if  so  good  a  story  should  be  lost  to 
either  place.  A  further  promotion  of  the  narrative  is  evi- 
dent in  our  version.  Here  the  step-mother  is  lacking. 
Perrault  retained  her  as  a  natural  folk  explanation  of  the 
difference  in  temperament  between  the  sisters  and  Cin- 
derella. It  is  a  question  how  far  the  refinement  can  go  and 
still  leave  the  central  vitality ;  but  it  is  certain  that  so  long 
as  a  story  lives  as  everybody 's  property,  as  a  folk  tale  trans- 
mitted orally  for  the  larger  part  of  its  existence,  it  will 
change,  antiquarians  and  recorders  notwithstanding. 

Hans  in  Luck  is  an  excellent  droll,  one  of  the  best  of 
its  kind.  Grimm  took  it  from  Wernicke,  who  took  it  from 
oral  tradition.  Grimm  follows  it  with  the  story  of  Hans 
Married,  which  ends  in  a  direct  joke.  Hans  Married,  like 
the  stories  of  Clever  Hans,  Clever  Elsie,  and  Gambling 
Hansel,  is  not  so  wholesome  and  does  not  show  so  light 
a  touch  as  does  Hans  in  Luck. 

The  Queen  Bee.  The  youngest  brother  in  the  story  of 
The  Queen  Bee  is  Boots  again,  without  Dasent's  name  for 


TALES  OF  THE  SECOND  READER  155 

him.  His  attitude  is  the  same  towards  nature  wherever 
we  find  him.  Simple  faith  and  thoughtful  brotherliness 
are  good  traits.  They  always  call  out  help.  The  incident 
of  the  old  man  and  the  stone  table  with  its  inscription 
looks  like  an  importation  from  the  Arabian  Nights.  The 
bee-and-the-honey  idea  is  also  oriental  in  its  ingenuous- 
ness. 

The  Sister  of  the  Sun  and  The  Flying  Ship.  Lars  of 
the  Lapland  folk  tale  and  Ivan  of  the  Russian  are  both 
true  nursery  saga  heroes.  They  are  of  humble  birth.  Lars 
is  the  son  of  a  gardener  and  Ivan  of  a  poor  couple.  They 
both  lived  near  the  palace.  They  both  go  on  adventures 
to  secure  prizes  to  be  brought  to  the  rulers,  and  each  wins 
a  princess  to  wife  after  hazardous  tasks  are  performed. 
Both  stories,  too,  have  a  myth  atmosphere,  ample  and  sug- 
gestive. The  golden  hen  that  belongs  to  the  Sister  of  the 
Sun  offers  the  adherents  of  the  Aryan  theory  much  oppor- 
tunity for  discussion ;  as  well  as  the  fox 's  blowing  out  of 
the  candles  with  the  coming  of  night ;  the  escape  of  Lars 
and  Princess  Sunset  over  the  mountains;  the  arrival  at 
the  castle  of  Princess  Sunrise. 

Our  school  children  may  remember  that  Lapland  is  the 
country  of  the  Northern  Lights.  Many  little  boys  and 
girls  up  there  must  have  asked  questions  about  that  beau- 
tiful phenomenon.  Some  small  second-grade  pupil  in  an 
American  class-room  might  for  the  pleasure  of  composi- 
tion answer  them,  making  up  a  fanciful  explanation  in  a 
story  starting  with  the  characters  in  this  narrative  of  the 
Sister  of  the  Sun;  Lars,  Princess  Sunrise,  Princess  Sunset, 
the  fox  with  the  great  yellow  brush  of  a  tail,  the  golden 
hens,  the  giants  in  their  black  shadow  castle,  the  little 
prince,  also,  left  alone  with  his  bow  and  arrows — What 
did  he  do  1 

Where  the  Lapland  story  is  curtailed  the   Russian  is 


156  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

expanded.  Ivan  soon  attains  the  flying  ship,  but  his  ad- 
ventures with  it  and  the  tasks  appointed  him  when  he 
tries  to  turn  it  over  to  the  king,  are  added.  Swift  Foot, 
Sharp  Ear,  Gobbler,  Drinker,  and  Sure  Shot  are  very  lik- 
able, clumsy,  old  giants.  The  skazki,  as  the  Russian  folk 
tales  are  called  in  their  own  country,  are  fresher,  more 
naive  and  brilliant  than  the  German.  The  reason  may  be 
that  the  whole  Russian  peasantry  to-day  is  nearer  the  folk 
tale  way  of  thinking  than  is  the  peasantry  of  any  other 
northern  country  producing  literature.  The  good  old 
uncles  with  the  magic  straw  and  the  magic  wood  seem  as 
familiar  to  us  as  our  own  aged  Man  in  the  Moon.  To-day, 
certainly,  the  Czar  has  his  flying  ship,  and  Sure  Shot  and 
the  man  with  the  magic  wood  must  ride  in  it. 

Why  the  Sea  is  Salt  is  a  folk  myth,  by  definition,  since 
it  accounts  in  a  fanciful  way  for  a  natural  phenomenon. 
The  elements  of  the  tale  are  myth  elements  historically, 
also,  coming  down  in  the  lays  of  the  Poetic  Edda  and  in 
Snorri's  Prose  Edda.  The  story  is  told  also  by  Saxo 
Grammaticus,  the  Danish  ' '  historian, ' '  who  wrote  in  Latin 
in  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries.  Grottasongr  (lay 
of  Grotti)  is  the  lay  of  the  magic  mill  that  would  grind 
out  anything  one  wished.  The  mill  belonged  to  Frodi,  a 
beneficent  king,  who  ground  only  peace  and  plenty.  Gold, 
Frodi 's  meal,  lay  about  on  the  highway  and  in  the  field 
unsown.  In  Snorri's  Skaldskaparmal  the  tale  is  finished. 
One  day  Frodi  got  from  the  King  of  Sweden  two  giant 
handmaidens,  Fenja  and  Menja,  whom  he  set  to  grind  the 
mill.  These  he  gave  no  rest,  compelling  them  night  and 
day  to  turn  out  peace  and  plenty  for  his  realm ;  but  Frodi 
had  forgotten  the  nature  of  the  mill,  which  was  to  grind 
what  the  grinder  chose.  Now  the  maidens'  hearts  had 
become  hot  and  revengeful.  They  wished  for  fire  and  war. 
That  very  night  King  Mysing  the  skipper,  the  sea-rover, 


TALES  OF  THE  SECOND  READER  157 

Frodi's  enemy,  came  and  slew  him  and  seized  the  maidens 
and  the  mill.  Mysing,  too,  was  a  tyrant  toward  the 
maidens.  He  bade  them  grind  salt.  When  they  wished  to 
stop,  he  hade  them  grind  on.  They  ground  fast  and  furi- 
ously until  the  ship  sank  with  them  and  their  tyrant  and 
the  mill  to  the  bottom  of  the  ocean. 

The  homeliness  of  folk  thinking  is  displayed  in  the 
modifications  of  the  story  as  it  went  its  rounds  among  the 
common  people  orally.  Asbjornsen  and  Moe  brought  it 
back  into  written  literature  in  their  collection.  Other 
very  ancient  myth  elements  are  evident  in  the  story.  The 
people  who  live  down  below  and  want  for  meat  represent 
old  ideas  about  the  place  that  Asbjornsen  and  Moe,  fol- 
lowing the  popular  vocabulary  and  mythology,  frankly 
call  Hell.  To  the  Norsemen  originally  Hel  was  a  giant 
goddess,  mistress  of  nine  worlds.  She  had  charge  of  all 
those  who  died  unfortunately  and  not  in  battle.  A  bitter 
cold  place  hers  was,  where  firewood  was  needed.  Well 
might  the  old  man  with  the  long  white  beard  stand  chop- 
ping at  the  gate. 

Inconsistencies  in  an  old  story  are  often  explainable  by 
traditions  contemporary  with  the  growth  of  the  narrative 
or  antecedent  to  it.  Take  the  question  that  some  wide- 
awake boy  might  ask  concerning  this  tale.  If  the  old  mill 
would  grind  anything  the  owner  wished,  why  did  not  the 
people  who  live  down  below  grind  out  a  flitch  of  bacon 
rather  than  demand  it  of  the  visitor?  And  why  in  the 
first  place  were  they  so  anxious  for  meat?  A  Norseman 
in  the  old  days  would  understand  these  allusions.  In  the 
Halls  of  the  Goddess  Hel  meat  was  scarce.  The  greatest 
comforts  of  life  were  there  forbidden,  and  what  more 
nearly  the  greatest  comfort  in  a  cold  country  than  meat? 
The  general  taboo  of  the  place  would  counteract  the  par- 
ticular virtue  of  the  mill. 


158  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

The  Sleeping  Beauty.  Andrew  Lang  thinks  it  useless 
to  try  to  interpret  The  Sleeping  Beauty  throughout  as 
a  nature  myth,  though  he  admits  that  the  idea  of  the  long 
sleep  may  have  been  derived  from  the  repose  of  nature  in 
winter.  He  notices  how  the  story  is  a  patchwork  of  inci- 
dents recurring  elsewhere  in  different  combinations. 
There  is  an  ancient  Egyptian  narrative  with  a  very  similar 
beginning.  The  quarrel  of  the  fairies  (or  the  Wise 
Women,  as  Grimm  calls  them)  is  the  old  discord  at  the 
wedding  of  Peleus,  told  in  folk  style.  The  maiden's  sleep 
and  her  rescue  are,  as  Grimm  boldly  asserts  and  Lang 
agrees,  the  wooing  of  Brunhild  by  Sigurd  from  the  old 
Norse  saga.  The  incident  of  the  prick  of  the  spindle 
has  many  analogies.  Grimm  says  that  the  spindle  is  the 
sleep-thorn  with  which  Odin  pierces  Brunhild.  Lang  calls 
attention  to  the  poisoned  nail  and  the  poisoned  comb  in 
other  sleep  narratives. 

The  version  of  the  story  given  in  the  Second  Eeader  is 
Grimm 's  Little  Briar  Rose  with  Perrault  's  title  and  fairies. 
The  Italian  version  (in  the  Pentamerone)  and  the  French 
version  (La  Belle  an  Bois  Dormant)  are  each  longer  and 
less  pleasant. 

One  of  the  old  Eddaic  lays  called  Swipdag  and  Menglod 
has  elements  of  both  the  Cinderella  and  Sleeping  Beauty 
stories.  The  first  part  of  the  poem  relates  how  Swipdag, 
who  is  in  love  with  the  beautiful  Menglod,  visits  the  grave 
of  his  dead  mother  Groa  and  asks  for  help  (Cinderella). 
Menglod  is  guarded  in  a  strong  castle  (Sleeping  Beauty) 
and  is  to  be  married  to  no  one  but  her  destined  lover. 
Swipdag   (Day  Spring)  turns  out  to  be  that  lover. 

Burne-Jones  did  a  series  of  paintings  illustrating  Briar 
Rose. 

East  o'  the  Sun  and  West  o'  the  Moon  is  one  of  the 
most  charming  folk  tales  that  have  come  down  to  us.    The 


TALES  OF  THE  SECOND  READER  159 

title  itself  is  inviting.  One  could  never  pass  it  by  without 
taking  up  the  story.  William  Morris  has  turned  it  into 
verse  in  the  Earthly  Paradise.  It  is  already  poetry  in 
its  suggestiveness  in  Asbjornsen,  and  Moe's  collection. 
\or  is  the  poetry  lost  in  our  version,  which  is  derived  from 
Dasent's  translation.  For  obvious  reasons,  a  number  of 
the  incidents  are  omitted  in  the  reader,  but  the  spirit  and 
flavor  of  the  diction  remain,  as  well  as  the  delightful 
stimulus  of  the  personification.  The  trolls  are  true  Norse 
dramatis  persona  of  folk  stories.  Bursting  is  their  usual 
and  thrilling  exit. 

Hansel  and  Gretel.  The  little  drama  of  Hansel  and 
Gretel  is  adapted  from  a  German  opera  in  three  acts,  the 
libretto  of  which  was  written  by  Adelheid  Wette  and  the 
music  by  Englebert  Humperdinck.  The  piece  has  the 
sub-title  "A  Fairy  Opera,"  justified  by  the  fact  that  the 
Sandman  and  the  Dewman  bear  also  the  appellations  of 
Sleep  Fairy  and  Dawn  Fairy.  The  characters  appearing 
are  the  same  as  in  the  adaptation,  except  that  the  fourteen 
angels  are  materialized.  Since  they  are  totaled  in  the 
prayer  situation  in  full  number,  some  American  small  boy 
in  counting  up  their  detailed  work  may  discover  that  two 
have  escaped  the  adapters,  unless  6X2=14. 

The  opera  is  of  the  last  century,  but  the  story  on  which 
it  is  founded  is  ancient  and  widespread.  There  are  vari- 
ants in  all  German  dialects  and  in  Italian  and  French. 
Maeterlinck 's  Blue  Bird  will  occur  to  everyone  familiar 
with  modern  drama.  The  allegorical  signification  is  a 
philosopher's  addition.  Grimm  tells  the  story  in  the  Hesse 
version  under  the  title  of  Hansel  and  Gretel.  A  white 
bird  sits  on  a  bough  and  sings  a  beautiful  song,  which  ar- 
rests the  children.  They  follow  the  singer  until  it  alights 
on  the  roof  of  a  house  built  of  bread  and  covered  with 
cakes  and  fitted  with  windows  of  clear  sugar.     Events 


160  PRIMARY  READING  AND  LITERATURE 

follow  as  in  the  drama  but  with  other  incidents  prefixed 
and  added. 

The  beginning  of  the  narrative  is  the  world-old  motif  of 
the  attempt  of  a  step-mother  to  be  rid  of  the  expense  and 
annoyance  of  her  step-children.  Refine  the  idea  as  we 
will,  ignore  it  as  we  may  in  these  cultivated  times,  it  is 
yet  founded  on  true  psychology.  Primitive  man  every- 
where recognized  the  process  of  thought  and  recorded  it 
in  his  crude  way  in  many  stories. 

The  adaptation  of  the  opera  is  very  spirited  and  whole- 
some.   Any  child  would  enjoy  it. 


TEACHERS'    NOTEBOOK 

FOR  THE 
HOLTON-CURRY  THIRD  READER 


By 
MARTHA  ADELAIDE  HOLTON 

For  ten  years  Supervisor  of  Primary  Education  in  the  Minneapolis 

Public  Schools.     Author  of  the  "Holton  Primer"  and 

"Industrial  Work  in  Public  Schools" 

and 

CHARLES   MADISON   CURRY 

Professor  of  Literature  in  the  Indiana  State  Normal  School 
Author  of  "Literary  Readings" 


RAND   McNALLY  &  COMPANY 

CHICAGO  NEW  YORK 


Copyright,  1915, 
By  Rand  McNally  &  Company 


THE   PREFACE 

These  Notebooks  have  been  prepared  at  the  suggestion  of 
the  publishers,  and  wholly  for  the  use  of  teachers.  What  they 
contain  may  be  used  or  disregarded  at  will.  They  are  in  no  sense 
necessary  pieces  of  apparatus  for  those  who  would  use  the  Holton- 
Curry  Readers,  since  each  of  the  eight  books  in  that  series  is  fully 
equipped  with  a  chapter  of  "Suggestions  to  Teachers"  and  other 
material  for  the  guidance  of  both  teachers  and  pupils. 

However,  some  teachers  may  wish  to  have  such  a  body  of 
material  as  that  brought  together  here.  They  will  understand 
that  it  is  offered  merely  as  a  small  storehouse  of  exercises  and 
suggestions  from  which  they  may  draw  what  suits  their  purposes. 
The  authors  can  only  hope  that  many  years  of  practical  teaching  in 
the  schoolroom  have  resulted  in  giving  them  some  points  of  view 
and  some  definite  results  that  other  teachers  may  be  helped  by 
seeing,  if  only  to  disagree  with  them. 

These  Notebooks  deal  concretely  with  the  selections  found  in 
the  Readers.  We  have  not  tried  to  add  another  to  the  already 
long  list  of  good  books  on  the  general  principles  of  reading  work. 
Where  anything  in  the  way  of  general  theory  is  advanced  it  is 
always  in  connection  with  some  concrete  illustration.  Teachers 
who  use  these  Notebooks  at  all  will  do  so  for  the  immediate  and 
definite  suggestions  which  they  contain,  and  while  to  give  such 
suggestions  is  perhaps  a  humbler  field  of  service,  it  is  at  least  one 
not  already  overcrowded. 

The  key  to  all  reading  is  the  power  of  mastering  and  organizing 
the  details  that  make  up  a  selection.  To  see  clearly  what  is  pictured, 
to  realize  definitely  what  is  said,  to  reasonably  interpret  these  details 
in  their  proper  relations, — these  are  the  phases  of  literary  study.  To 
serve  the  ends  enumerated  is  the  aim  of  the  Notebooks. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  to  teachers  that  a  clear  understanding 
of  what  is  to  be  taught  is  the  first  and  all-important  requisite 
in  good  teaching.  Such  an  understanding  begets  enthusiasm, 
and  enthusiasm  is  contagious.  More  than  that,  such  an  understand- 
ing makes  the  teacher  independent  and  masterful,  and  begets  the 
individuality  in  methods  that  gives  life  and  inspiration  in  all 
language  work. 

M.  A.  H. 
C.  M.  C. 


THE  CONTEXTS 

Page 

in 
Reader 

Introductory 

General  Plan  for  a  Reading  Lesson      .... 

Concrete  Suggestions  for  the  Lessons 

An  Apple  Orchard  in  the  Spring      ....  66 

AppeEseed  John 61 

Aprie 66 

Beeeing  the  Cat 35 

Beleing  the  Cat   (dramatization)              ...  37 

Beackie  in  the  Trap 52 

Blunder 213 

Buttons 77 

Carpenter,  The 50 

Child  and  the  Bird,  The 19 

City  Mouse  and  the  Garden  Mouse,  The    .      .  59 

Constant  Tin  Soldier,  The 124 

Daisies 9 

Dog  of  Flanders,  A 192 

Do  You? 65 

Exercise  for  Expression  by  Lengthening  the 

Vowel 47 

Expression  Through  Force  and  Word  Painting  86 

Finding  a  Dark  Place 48 

Four  Clever  Brothers,  The 159 

Four  Winds,  The 42 

4 


Page 
in  Note- 
book 

7 

8 


28 
26 
27 
18 
19 
24 
59 
31 
23 
12 
26 
44 
8 
56 
27 

22 
34 
22 
49 
20 


THE  CONTENTS  I 

Page  1 

in  in  Xote- 

lU'atler  lxiok 

I- ox  and  the  Rooster,  The 13  11 

I '<>\   Family.  Tin; 10  9 

Giant  and  the  Pir.s,  The 26  16 

Giant  and  the  Pigs,  The  (dramatization)     .      .  31  17 

High  and  Low 171  51 

How  Fire  Came  to  the  Indians 97  37 

How  Tommy  Raised  the  Wind 43  21 

Husband  Who  Was  to  Mind  the  House,  The    .150  48 

In  Trust 72  29 

June   Comes 229  61 

Lamplighter,  The 24  15 

Little  Being  Pigeon 190  55 

Little  Boy  Blue 140  45 

Little   Pilgrim   People 87  34 

Man  in  the  Moon 84  33 

Mk.  and  Mrs.  Spikky  Sparrow 105  39 

My  Lady  Wind 96  37 

Night  Wind,  The 45  21 

XoYF.MHER 148  47 

Obedience 179  52 

Old  Abe,  the  War  Eagle 143  46 

O  Sailor,  ComE  Ashore 120  43 

Pig  and  the  Hen,  The 77  32 

Pig  and  the  Hen.  The  (dramatization)    ...  82  32 

Poor  Old  Elephant 24  15 

Real  Princess,  The 68  28 

Robin   Redbreast 172  51 

Shepherd  Boy  and  the  Wolf,  The    ....  39  20 


6  THE  CONTENTS 

Page  Page 

in  In  Note- 
Header  book 

Sir  ClEges  and  the  Cherries 203  58 

Snowbird,  The 95  36 

Somewhere  Town 142  46 

Sower,  The 202  58 

Spring 103  38 

Swiss  Family  Robinson  Dogs,  The  ....  110  40 

Table  and  the  Chair,  The     .:....  156  49 

They  Didn't  Think 34  18 

Three  Monkeys  oi-  Japan 181  53 

Tommy  Tinker's  Charm  String 73  30 

Tongue-Cut  Sparrow,  The 182  54 

Tree,  The 180  52 

Two  Brass  Kettles 174  51 

Two  Faces .      .  30  17 

Wild    Geese 121  43 

Wise  Old  Elephant,  The 21  13 


TEACHERS'    NOTEBOOK 

FOR   THE 

HOLTON-CURRY   THIRD   READER 

INTRODUCTORY 

The  natural  curiosity  and  imaginative  power  of  childhood, 
combined  with  the  inherent  spirit  of  investigation,  form  a  broad 
and  far-reaching  foundation  for  third-grade  reading.  Wisely  util- 
ized, they  open  the  door  to  development  along  many  lines,  and 
by  their  aid  it  is  possible  to  incite  pupils  to  accomplish  a  large 
amount  of  reading  with  little  conscious  effort.  Children  of  this 
grade  readily  become  interested  in  myths,  stories  of  primitive  life, 
adventure,  and  characteristic  habits  and  experiences  of  animals; 
in  fact,  they  can  easily  be  guided  into  the  fertile  field  of  literature 
through  the  inspirational  touch  of  a  teacher  who  knows  how  to 
improve  the  opportunities  always  available. 

It  is  a  simple  matter  to  lead  girls  and  boys  of  seven,  eight,  or 
nine  years  of  age  to  imagine  themselves  living  in  the  long  ago; 
to  see  and  feel  the  conditions  which  existed  in  primitive  homes  in 
the  early  days  of  our  country,  and  to  so  clearly  picture  the  approach 
of  the  Indians  that  they  understand  why  little  children  were  afraid 
and  were  hidden  under  brass  kettles.  With  eyes  sparkling  with 
the  joy  of  discovery,  they  enter  into  the  experiences  of  the  Swiss 
Family  Robinson;  and  their  sympathy  goes  out  quite  as  readily 
to  foolish  Chanticleer  when  he  responds  to  the  flattery  of  the  fox 
as  to  the  poor,  hungry,  and  sick  dog  of  Flanders.  They  love  dear 
little  Nello  and  the  gentle  old  grandfather  as  tenderly  as  if  they 
really  knew  them.  They  rejoice  with  Blackie  in  his  release  from  the 
trap,  and  laugh  merrily  at  the  foolish  quarrel  of  the  pig  and  the  hen. 

All  such  material,  when  properly  presented,  is  keenly  appreciated 
by  third-grade  children,  and  excellent  results  are  certain  to  follow 
the  interpretive,  awakening  touch  of  a  skillful  teacher. 


»  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

GENERAL   PLAN   FOR   A   READING   LESSON 

In  order  that  the  work  may  be  logical  and  definite,  all  lessons 
should  follow  a  general  plan,  but  that  plan  should  be  adapted  to 
meet  the  needs  of  the  particular  lesson.  Twenty  or  twenty-five 
minutes  is  suggested  for  a  lesson,  and  the  phonic  work  may  be  done 
at  the  beginning  or  at  the  end  of  the  period,  as  the  teacher  prefers. 

1.  Phonic  or  vocal  exercises,  enunciation  drills,  imaginative 
work,  and  expression  exercises. 

2.  "Word  preparation,  including  drill  upon  new  words,  phrases, 
and  expressions. 

3.  Directing  the  thought,  to  prepare  for  the  reading  of  the  lesson. 

4.  Reading  the  lesson. 

5.  Dramatization  or  oral  reproduction  of  the  story. 

6.  Seat  work.  Make  the  work  as  far  as  possible  correspond  with 
the  thought  of  the  lesson. 

CONCRETE  SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THE  LESSONS 

Page  9.     Daisies. 

Create  the  right  atmosphere  for  an  understanding  of  the  poem 
by  leading  the  class  to  imagine  the  following  pictures  and  to  describe 
them: 

1.  A  meadow  dotted  with  white  daisies,  with  children  picking 

the  daisies  and  telling  their  fortunes  by  pulling  out  the 
petals  and  saying,  "Rich  man,  poor  man,  beggar  man, 
thief." 

2.  The  starry  sky  on  a  clear  night.     The  resemblance  between 

the  meadow  dotted  with  daisies  and  the  sky  spangled  with 
stars. 

3.  Lady  Moon  picking  the  daisies  in  the  sky,  and  dropping  them 

down  to  earth. 

Questions  for  expression.  (First  stanza.)  What  do  you  see  in 
the  sky  when  you  go  to  bed?  What  are  they?  What  do  they  do 
to  the  sky  meadow?     Read  the  stanza. 

(Second  stanza.)  When  you  are  dreaming,  what  will  go  across 
the  sky?  Who  is  it?  What  kind  of  a  lady?  What  does  she  do? 
Read  the  two  stanzas. 

(Third  stanza.)  How  many  stars  are  left  in  the  morning?  What 
has  the  lady  done?  Where  has  she  dropped  them?  Read  the  entire 
poem. 


HOLTON-CURRY   THIRD  READER  9 

Phonic  lesson,     a  means  the  short  sound  of  a. 

i.  Review  the  short  vowel  sounds  by  placing  the  letters  upon  the 
blackboard  and  drilling  upon  the  sounds  in  a  variety  of  ways.  Call 
them  daisies,  and  have  them  picked;  call  them  stars,  and  have 
them  twinkle  by  giving  the  sounds. 

2.  Review  phonograms  containing  short  a  by  drawing  a  football 
and  placing  them  upon  the  ball,  as: 


Have  the  ball  kicked,  thrown,  and  caught  by  giving  the  phono- 
grams. 

3.  On  the  board  write  lists  of  words  containing  the  phonograms 
reviewed,  and  have  the  words  sounded,  as: 

had  fan  catch  ham 

can  thank  mat  bag 

Teach  the  children  to  say,  "The  a  in  had  is  short  a,"  "The  a  in 

bag  is  short  a,"  and  so  on  through  the  list.     Then  tell  them  that 

whenever  it  is  necessary  to  indicate  the  short  sound  of  a  it  is  done 

in  this  way,  a. 

4.  Have  the  a  marked  in  each  word  on  the  blackboard. 

5.  Call  attention  to  the  lesson  on  page  9,  and  have  the  words 
sounded  and  pronounced. 

Page  10.    The  Fox  Family. 

Show  the  picture  of  a  fox,  or  write  the  word  on  the  board,  and 
lead  the  children  to  describe  the  characteristic  habits  of  foxes  and 
also  to  tell  about  their  food.  Let  them  tell  why  farmers  set  traps 
for  them,  and  why  smaller  animals  are  afraid  of  them.  Call  atten- 
tion to  the  illustration,  and  have  the  different  members  of  the 
family  located  and  named. 


io  TEACHERS1    NOTEBOOK 

Have  the  story  read,  one  paragraph  at  a  time,  emphasizing 
the  following  important  points:  The  kind  of  foxes  they  were. 
What  Father  Fox  knew.  How  he  looked  when  he  walked  over  to 
the  barn,  and  what  he  thought.  What  happened  the  next  day. 
Who  went  after  their  dinner  then.  Mother  Fox  brings  home  the 
farmer's  big  fat  turkey.  The  Fox  family  eat  the  Thanksgiving 
turkey.  What  is  left  to  tell  the  story.  The  little  foxes  wait  for 
Mother  Fox  to  come  home.  Three  poor  hungry  little  baby  foxes 
cry  for  their  mother.  The  farmer's  children  find  them.  What 
they  say. 

Pictures  to  be  imagined: 

1.  The  fox  family. 

2.  Father  Fox  walking  over  to  the  barn. 

3.  Father  Fox  catching  the  white  rooster. 

4.  Father  Fox  in  the  trap. 

5.  Mother  Fox  carrying  the  big,  fat  turkey. 

6.  Eating  the  Thanksgiving  turkey. 

7.  The  baby  foxes,  hungry  and  crying. 

8.  The  farmer's  children  finding  the  little  foxes. 
Action  and  expression  sentences: 

One  day  Father  Fox  walked  slowly  over  to  the  barn,  looking  first 

this  way  and  then  that. 
The  old  white  rooster  struts  around  so  proud  and  so  smart,  and 

calls  all  the  hens  whenever  he  sees  me  coming. 
One  day  she  brought  a  big  fat  turkey. 
They  ate  and  ate  and  ate  until  there  was  nothing  left  but  the 

bones  to  tell  the  story  of  the  Thanksgiving  turkey. 
By  and  by  they  were  so  hungry  they  began  to  cry. 
Poor  little  foxes,  you  do  not  know  we  caught  your  father  and 

mother  in  our  trap. 
Phonic  lesson,     e  means  the  short  sound  of  e. 

1.  Review  phonograms  containing  short  e.  Draw  circles  on  the 
board  and  place  a  phonogram  in  the  center  of  each.  Call  them  pies, 
and  have  them  eaten  by  giving  the  phonograms ;  call  them  nuts,  and 
have  them  cracked  by  giving  the  phonograms;  call  them  apples, 
and  have  them  eaten  by  giving  the  sound  of  short  e. 

ed  em  en  eg  eb  ep  ell 

eck  ent  end  ept  ed  et  est 

2.  Teach  the  children  to  say  "E  in  et  is  short  e,"  and  so  on  with 
each  phonogram. 


IIOLTON-CURRY   THIRD   READER  n 

3.  Give  each  child  a  slip  of  paper  on  which  a  word  containing 
short  e  has  been  written.  Have  the  words  sounded  and  pronounced, 
and  the  statements  made  that  the  e  in  hen  is  short  e;  the  e  in  Nell 
is  short  e,  and  so  on.  Then  tell  the  children  that  the  short  sound 
of  e  is  indicated  by  putting  the  sign  of  the  short  sound  over  the  e, 
as  e.     Have  each  child  mark  the  e  in  his  word. 

4.  Call  attention  to  the  lesson  on  page  12,  and  have  the  words 
sounded  and  pronounced  and  the  mark  for  e  in  each  word  indicated 
by  a  movement  of  the  finger. 

Page  13.    The  Fox  and  the  Rooster. 

Write  the  new  words  on  the  board  and  have  them  pronounced 
and  used  in  oral  sentences.  Review  the  characteristics  of  foxes, 
and  enlarge  upon  their  slyness. 

Describe  a  barnyard  in  which  there  are  fowls  of  many  kinds. 
Divide  the  class  into  sections,  and  let  the  ducks  quack,  the  hens 
cackle,  and  the  big  yellow  rooster  crow.  Tell  the  story  briefly, 
letting  the  class  repeat  after  you  such  expressions  as,  "  Don't  run 
away,  Chanticleer";  "Don't  be  afraid  of  me";  "You  are  as  hand- 
some as  he  was";  "No  rooster  can  crow  as  beautifully  as  you, 
Chanticleer";  and  "'Fox!  fox!  fox!'  cried  the  black  hens." 
Points  to  be  emphasized  in  the  reading: 
The  noise  in  the  barnyard.     Who  heard  the  noise,  and  what  he 

thought.     What  trick  he  decided  to  try  to  play. 
How  Chanticleer  felt  when  he  saw  the  fox  hiding  in  the  grass. 
What  the  fox  said  to  Chanticleer  about  his  father,  and  his 

resemblance  to  him. 
What  Chanticleer  thought  about  the  fox.     How  he  was  going 
to  crow.     (Class  stand  as  Chanticleer  did,  and  crow  in  their 
sweetest  tones.) 
What  happened  as  soon  as  Chanticleer's  eyes  were  shut.     (Do 
what  the  farmer  did.     Do  what  the  hens,  ducks,  and  dog 
did.) 
How  Chanticleer  felt,  and  what  he  thought.     (All  read  what  he 

said  to  the  fox.) 
How  the  fox  felt  to  hear  Chanticleer  say  this.     (Say  what  the 

fox  called  back.) 
What  the  old  yellow  rooster  did,  and  what  Mr.  Sly  Fox  had  to 

do  all  day. 
Have  the  entire  story  read  by  one  half  of  the  class  while  the 
other  half  act  out  the  situations  as  they  are  described  in  the  reading. 


12 


TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 


Phonic  lesson.     6  means  the  short  sound  of  o. 

I.  Review  the  short  sounds  of  the  vowels,  and  phonograms  con- 
taining short  a,  e,  and  o,  by  drawing  a  fence  around  a  square  or 
irregular  space  and  placing  the  letters  and  phonograms  inside. 
Call  this  the  barnyard,  and  let  one  child  play  he  is  the  fox  and  all 
the  others  that  they  are  chickens.  Let  the  chickens  give  the 
sounds  of  the  short  vowels  when  the  fox  comes,  making  as  much 
noise  as  they  like,  and  each  one  giving  the  sound  he  prefers. 

Let  the  children  take  turns  being  a  fox  who  catches  as  many 
chickens  as  he  can  by  pronouncing  the  phonograms,  touching  each 
one  with  a  pointer  as  he  pronounces  it. 


at  ^^ad^kaf  \ 

em     e      y 
6m 


WK'edet         om5b  . 

iiw  .   £f  oa  ock   .   us       6p 

and  rf  6x 


2.  Write  the  following  lists  of  words  upon  the  board  and  have 
them  sounded  and  pronounced.  Then  ask  the  children  to  tell 
what  sound  a  has  in  had,  and  how  to  mark  it;  what  sound  e  has  in 
hen,  and  how  to  mark  it;  what  sound  o  has  in  fox,  and  how  they 
think  short  o  should  be  marked.  Without  hesitation  they  should 
be  able  to  tell  the  correct  mark  to  use. 

had  hen  fox 

Jack  red  not 

quack  them  stop 

3.  Mark  the  words  in  the  lists. 

4.  Call  attention  to  the  lesson  on  page  18,  and  have  the  children 
notice  how  0  is  marked.  Have  the  words  sounded  and  pronounced, 
and  the  mark  to  be  used  traced  in  the  air  with  the  finger. 

Page  18.    The  Child  and  the  Bird. 

This  poem  leads  us  to  imagine  a  little  maiden  talking  in  a  familiar, 
loving  way  to  a  dear  little  bird.     This  shows  that  the  relationship 


HOLTON-CURRY  THIRD  READER  13 

between  them  must  have  been  one  of  friendship  and  love,  because 
the  bird  was  not  afraid  to  talk  to  the  little  girl  and  tell  all  about 
his  dream.  Such  a  conversation  should  be  reproduced  in  a  gentle, 
musical  voice,  expressing  great  tenderness. 

In  the  reading,  call  attention  to  how  the  season  is  indicated,  the 
dream,  where  the  birds  were  going,  why  they  were  going,  and  when 
they  would  return. 

Pictures  to  be  imagined : 

1.  The  little  girl  and  the  bird  talking  together. 

2.  The  trees  covered  with  pretty  red  leaves,  with  the  bright 

sunshine  upon  them. 

3.  The  birds  asleep  in  the  tree. 

4.  The  land  where  oranges  bloom. 

5.  The  return  of  the  birds  to  the  orchard. 

After  the  lesson  has  been  read  as  a  whole,  let  each  child  select 
the  stanza  he  prefers  and  read  it,  bringing  out  the  special  points. 

Phonic  lesson:  1.  The  phonograms  ought,  ight,  and  aught  should 
be  thoroughly  reviewed  and  made  familiar  through  a  variety  of 
drills.  Divide  the  class  into  three  sections  and  give  each  section 
one  of  these  phonograms.  Then  question  the  sections  rapidly. 
When  a  question  is  asked  the  answer  is  to  be  the  phonogram  only, 
as,  "Where  do  you  live?"  Section  1  says  ought,  section  2  says  ight, 
and  section  3  says  aught. 

2.  Call  attention  to  the  lesson  on  page  19,  and  have  the  words 
sounded  and  pronounced  and  the  phonograms  underlined. 

Teach  the  children  to  use  the  words  in  sentences,  as:  "I  caught 
my  naughty  daughter  and  taught  her  what  she  ought  to  do."  "One 
night  I  saw  a  bright  light  right  near  my  window."  "I  thought  I 
brought  a  bright  light  to  my  naughty  daughter." 

Page  21.  The  Wise  Old  Elephant. 

Describe  a  circus  parade  and  let  the  children  run  to  the  windows 
and  pretend  to  watch  it  pass.  Then  let  them  tell  what  they  saw, 
how  many  elephants  there  were,  what  they  like  to  feed  them,  and 
so  on. 

Give  a  short  description  of  the  jungle  in  which  elephants  live 
when  wild,  how  they  are  captured,  and  some  of  their  characteristics. 
Call  attention  to  the  picture,  and  let  the  children  imagine  and  tell 
what  the  man  is  saying.  Be  sure  to  have  the  children  talk  as  he 
would,  and  read  the  lesson  naturally. 

Little,  if   any,   questioning   for   expression  will    be  necessary, 


H 


TEACHERS*   NOTEBOOK 


because  the  mind  picture  is  vivid  and  the  lesson  conversational  in 
style.  After  reading  the  lesson,  dramatize  it.  Call  a  corner  of 
the  room  the  place  for  the  elephant.  Put  a  coat  or  shawl  over  two 
boys,  and  let  them  pretend  to  be  the  elephant.  Assign  the  part 
of  keeper  to  a  boy  with  a  good  voice,  one  who  reads  well  and  can 
appreciate  the  conditions.  Let  the  remainder  of  the  class  attend 
the  circus  and  feed  the  elephant  candy  and  peanuts.  The  keeper 
should  remember  parts  of  the  lesson,  and  repeat  them  as  the  children 
pass  by. 

To  help  in  the  work,  it  is  sometimes  wise  to  write  two  or  three 
sentences  from  the  lesson  upon  the  board  where  they  can  be  seen 
easily. 

Phonic  lesson,    t  means  the  short  sound  of  i. 

i .  Review  phonograms  containing  short  a,  e,  o,  and  i  by  placing 
them  in  cages  and  calling  them  animals.  Let  the  class  pass  by  the 
cages  and  name  the  animals  as  they  pass.  Have  the  phonograms 
given  rapidly.  Let  each  child  choose  a  cage,  and  see  how  fast  he 
can  name  the  animals. 


ack 

an 

ent 

em 

ot 

om 

ink 

in 

ap 

ank 

eck 

eb 

ock 

on 

ick 

it 

aught 

id 

ill 

a 

e 

1 

ack 

ick 

ight 

ib 

in 

6 

u 

eck 

ock 

2.  Sound  and  pronounce  the  words  in  the  following  list  and  let 
the  children  tell  how  they  think  i  should  be  marked  to  indicate  the 
short  sound.     Mark  the  words. 


ink 
think 


lm 

him 


ill 
bill 


it 
hit 


3.  Use  the  lesson  on  page  22  for  written  seat  work,  and  have  the 
words  copied  and  marked. 


HOLTON-CURRY   THIRD   READER  1$ 

Page  24.   Poor  Old  Elephant. 

This  is  an  expression  lesson  and  no  thought  preparation  is  neces- 
sary. 

Questions  for  expression.  What  kind  of  an  elephant  are  we  to 
read  about?  Where  did  he  go?  Where  did  he  live  his  life?  Of 
what  was  he  dreaming? 

The  word  poor  should  be  made  emphatic  by  lengthening  oo,  cool 
by  lengthening  oo,  juicy  and  rippling  by  word  painting.  See 
"Suggestions  to  Teachers,"  page  222  of  the  Third  Reader. 

Mind  pictures  to  suggest: 

1.  The  wild  elephant  eating  the  juicy  leaves  in  a  jungle  beside 

a  rippling  pool. 

2.  The  elephant  in  a  tent,  eating  peanuts  and  performing  tricks. 
Have  the  selection  memorized  and  given  with  expression. 
Phonic  lesson,     ph  and  gh  have  the  same  sound  as  /. 

1.  Review  the  sounds  of  the  letters  by  leading  the  children  to 
imagine  themselves  in  the  jungle  with  the  elephant.  Have  them 
see  the  pretty  leaves  and  name  the  fish  in  the  pool  as  you  point 
to  the  sounds.  Write  a,  /,  m,  d,  k,  b,  g,  f,  e,  c,  d,  n,  I,  x,  r,  and  all 
the  other  letters  on  the  blackboard,  or  draw  leaves  and  put  a  letter 
on  each  leaf.  Have  each  child  play  he  is  the  wind  and  try  to  blow 
away  all  the  leaves  by  giving  the  sounds. 

2.  Write  the  word  elephant  and  have  it  sounded,  pointing  to  each 
letter  as  the  sound  is  given.  Lead  the  children  to  see  that  ph  says/, 
and  have  them  state  this.  Let  them  discover  in  a  similar  way  that 
gh  says  /  in  enough. 

3.  Write  on  the  board  the  words  in  the  lesson  on  page  23,  and 
add  to  them  many  others  containing  the  same  sound.  Drill  upon 
them,  being  sure  that  each  child  gives  clearly  the  special  sounds, 
gh  and  ph. 

4.  Have  words  containing  the  new  sound  used  in  sentences. 
Page  24.   The  Lamplighter. 

This  lesson  has  been  used  in  the  general  plan  as  applied  to  lessons. 
See  "Suggestions  to  Teachers,"  page  220  of  the  Third  Reader. 

Phonic  lesson,    u  means  the  short  sound  of  u. 

I.  Review  the  short  vowel  sounds  by  sending  telegrams;  sound 
from  left  to  right  and  from  top  to  bottom.  Change  the  groups  on 
the  poles  to  others,  so  that  the  drill  may  be  varied  and  thorough. 

Let  the  children  repeat  their  messages,  as,  "My  message  said  6, 
odt  nod."    Call  each  list  in  the  lesson  on  page  24  of  the  Reader 


i6 


TEACHERS1    NOTEBOOK 


a  telegram,  and  have  the  message  read  several  times.     Sound  and 
pronounce  words  from  the  story,  as:  ladder,  night,  rich,  time,  left,  way. 


Page  26.  The  Giant  and  the  Pigs. 

The  fable  should  be  made  familiar  to  the  children  before  the 
reading  is  attempted.  This  may  be  done  by  having  the  lesson  read 
silently  as  seat  work,  or  by  telling  the  story  before  the  recitation. 

Select  expression  phrases  and  sentences  from  the  story  and 
write  them  on  the  board.  Drill  upon  them  oefore  the  children 
read  the  story,  in  order  to  avoid  questioning  during  the  reading,  as: 

"'You  better  look  out,  black  little,  fat  little  pigs!'  'A  big, 
hungry  giant  lives  in  those  woods.'  'Ha!  ha!'  said  the  giant,  'now 
I  shall  have  roast  pig  for  my  supper.' " 

Mind  pictures  to  be  created  through  description: 

1.  Deep,  dark  woods  in  which  a  big,  hungry  giant  lives. 

2.  A  pen,  and  three  little  black  pigs  living  in  it. 

3.  Three  little  pigs  starting  toward  the  woods,  and  the  hens  and 

old  yellow  rooster  calling  after  them. 

4.  The  pigs  running  around  eating  nuts. 

5.  The  giant  catching  the  pigs,  and  how  frightened  they  looked. 

6.  Three  little  pigs  running  to  their  pen  as  fast  as  they  can. 


IIOLTON-CURRY  THIRD  READER  17 

Page  30.  Two  Faces. 

Talk  to  the  class  about  sometimes  feeling  happy  and  sometimes 
feeling  cross.     Have  them  show  in  their  faces  how  they  feel. 

Questions  for  expression.  What  does  it  mean  to  make  a  face  at 
any  one?  If  you  make  a  face  at  Billy,  what  will  he  be  almost  sure 
to  do?  How  many  ugly  faces  does  that  make?  And  what  else  does 
it  make?     Read  the  stanza  and  bring  out  those  facts. 

If  you  smile  at  Billy,  what  will  he  do?  All  smile  at  me,  and  see 
what  I  will  do.  What  would  you  say  if  you  could  see  Billy?  What 
is  it  pleasanter  for  any  boy  or  girl  to  do?  How  many  does  it  take 
to  make  a  quarrel? 

Have  the  lesson  read  several  times,  making  sure  that  it  is  appre- 
ciated by  all  and  read  with  correct  expression. 

Phonic  lesson,     a  means  the  long  sound  of  a. 

1.  Review  phonograms  containing  a  made  long  by  final  e,  and 
lead  the  children  to  say,  "Sometimes  final  e  makes  a  long." 

2.  Show  that  the  final  e  produces  the  difference  in  the  sound  of  a. 
at  ak  ad  al  am         short  sounds 

ate  ake  ade         ale         ame 


long  sounds 
late        make        made        sale        same  J 

3.  Present  phonograms  in  which  long  a  is  not  followed  by  final  e, 
and  lead  the  children  to  see  this,  as:   ail,  ay,  aim,  air. 

4.  Give  words  containing  long  a,  and  have  them  sounded  and 
pronounced.     Tell  the  children  that  long  a  is  shown  thus,  a. 

5.  Give  words  and  have  the  a  marked: 

play  stay  wait  late 

make  take  chain  tail 

6.  Have  the  lists  of   words  given  in  the  lesson  on  page  30 
sounded  from  top  to  bottom,  as:  ake;  t  ake,  take;  c  ake,  cake. 

Page  31.   The  Giant  and  the  Pigs.     (Dramatization.) 

1.  Have  the  lesson  read  silently. 

2.  Assign  the  parts  as  indicated,  and  have  each  child  take  his 
right  place. 

3.  Let  each  child  read  his  part  from  the  book. 

4.  Assign  the  parts,  and  let  one  child  read  while  the  others  act. 

5.  After  the  reading  nave  the  story  acted  from  memory. 
Phonic  lesson.     0  means  the  long  sound  of  0. 

1.  Write  phonograms  and  words  containing  long  o  upon  pieces  of 
paper.     Hide  these  in  different  places  about  the  room.     Tell  the 
2 


1 8  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

children  you  have  hidden  these  papers  and  they  may  each  find  one. 
When  all  are  found  have  each  child  recite.  "I  found  c  old,  cold, 
under  Harry's  desk."  "I  found  y  oke,  yoke,  in  a  book."  "I  found 
ole,  ome,  oat  in  James's  pocket."  This  makes  an  interesting  game, 
a  valuable  language  lesson,  and  a  thorough  phonic  drill. 

2.  Write  the  phonograms  upon  the  board  as  they  are  given, 
and  lead  the  children  to  say  that  when  o  says  its  name  it  is  long  o. 

3.  Mark  the  0  in  the  phonograms  and  words,  and  let  the  class 
tell  how  it  is  marked  to  indicate  the  long  sound. 

4.  Let  phonograms  containing  long  0  represent  pigs,  and  let  one 
pupil  be  a  big  giant  catching  them.  Each  pupil  who  correctly 
pronounces  his  name  is  released  by  the  giant. 

5.  The  lesson  on  page  32  should  be  used  as  a  drill  upon  long  o. 
Have  the  children  find  and  give  other  words  which  contain  long  o. 
Page  34.  They  Did  n't  Think. 

Have  the  lesson  read  silently.  Then  ask  the  following  questions, 
and  have  the  children  answer  them  by  reading  parts  of  the  lesson: 
Of  what  was  a  little  turkey  fond?  What  would  n't  she  do?  What 
did  she  say?  Who  saw  her  pass?  What  happened  to  her  feathers? 
For  what  did  she  make  a  supper?  Why  did  it  happen?  Read  the 
entire  lesson.  Tell  the  story  in  your  own  language.  Give  a  quota- 
tion from  the  poem  from  memory.  What  lesson  in  your  Second 
Reader  was  something  like  this?  It  was  written  by  the  same  lady, 
and  is  really  a  part  of  the  same  poem.  Read  the  lesson  from  the 
Second  Reader.     Which  do  you  prefer?     Why  do  you  prefer  it? 

Phonic  lesson,     n  means  the  long  sound  of  u. 

Follow  the  outline  used  in  teaching  long  a. 

Let  the  words  in  the  phonic  lesson  be  turkeys,  represented  by 
the  pupils,  who  will  escape  from  the  sly  young  mink  by  gobbling 
(pronouncing  the  words). 
Page  35.   Belling  the  Cat. 

Have  each  paragraph  studied  silently  and  the  condition  imagined 
and  talked  about  before  the  oral  reading  of  the  story. 

1.  A  pet  cat  lived  in  a  fine  house  in  which  she  had  great  free- 

dom.    All  the  mice  were  afraid  of  her. 

2.  Mice  met  in  a  dark  pantry  to  discuss  the  cat.    What  had  led 

to  this  meeting? 

3.  All  the  mice  looked  very  serious  and  thoughtful.     Little 

Short  Tail  stood  up,  proposing  that  some  one  hang  a  bell 
around  the  cat's  neck. 


HOLTON-CURRY  THIRD   READER  19 

4.  All  the  mice  approved  the  plan  and  looked  happy. 
5  and  6.  Jimmy  Gray  Back,  with  his  head  on  one  side,  looked  out 
of  the  corner  of  his  eye  and  asked  who  would  bell  the  cat. 
All  the  mice  looked  very  wise  and  kept  very  still. 
Have  the  meaning  of  these  words  and  phrases  shown  by  perform- 
ing the  actions: 

almost  caught  me  hang  a  bell     scamper 

walked  so  softly  met  squeaked 

thought  very  hard  afraid  winked 

head  on  one  side  stood  listen 

looking  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye    eat  run 

Phonic  lesson,  i  means  the  long  sound  of  i. 
I.  Make  paper  mice  by  tracing  around  a  pattern  and  cutting 
upon  the  line.  On  one  side  write  the  name  of  the  mouse,  as  Jimmy 
Gray  Back,  and  on  the  other  side  write  several  phonograms,  being 
careful  to  include  some  which  contain  long  i,  as  "ail,  oil,  ite,  etc. 
Give  each  child  a  mouse  and  have  him  say,  "Jimmy  Gray  Back 
says  ail,  oil,  ite."     "Father  Sharp  Eyes  says  ade,  ought,  ice." 

Let  the  children  sit  upon  the  floor  and  pretend  to  be  mice,  while 
each  one  says  what  his  paper  mouse  did. 

Place  upon  the  board  lists  of  words  like  those  below,  and  have 
them  sounded. 


might 

neck 

sure 

joke 

mice 

light 

bell 

tune 

snow 

fine 

Call  attention  to  the  lesson  on  page  36.  Have  the  phonograms 
sounded,  and  lead  the  children  to  say,  "/in  ice,  ide,  He,  and  ine  is 
long  i,  and  it  is  marked  in  this  way  (tracing  the  mark  in  the  air 
with  the  finger)."  Have  the  words  sounded  and  pronounced,  and 
used  in  sentences. 
Page  37.  Belling  the  Cat.     (Dramatization.) 

Follow  the  directions  for  acting  given  in  italics  in  the  lesson. 
Before  the  dramatizing  is  done  the  lesson  should  be  read  both  silently 
and  aloud,  in  order  that  the  children  may  become  familiar  with  the 
forms  of  expressions. 

The  lesson  should  be  read  by  the  children  who  are  acting.  Some- 
times it  is  desirable  to  have  the  parts  memorized ;  this  gives  greater 
freedom  in  acting  out  the  situation. 


20  TEACHERS1   NOTEBOOK 

Page  39.  The  Shepherd  Boy  and  the  Wolf. 

See  "Suggestions  to  Teachers,"  page  221. 
Page  42.  The  Four  Winds. 

Talk  with  the  class  about  the  wind,  the  names  of  the  different 
winds,  and  the  sections  of  the  earth  from  which  they  come.  Have 
the  children  close  their  eyes  and  imagine  the  great  north  wind,  its 
destructive  characteristics,  and  the  land  from  which  it  comes,  with 
its  mountains,  its  icebergs,  its  seasons,  its  people.  Lead  them  to 
think  of  the  southern  portion  of  their  own  country  and  compare  its 
climate,  fruit,  and  flowers  with  those  of  the  northern  section.  Let 
them  reason,  and  decide  what  the  north  wind  would  naturally  bring 
them.  Talk  about  the  work  of  the  wind  at  different  times  of  the 
year. 

As  the  points  are  given  by  the  class  note  them  upon  the  black- 
board and  have  them  read  as,  "  In  spring  the  wind  helps  to  melt  the 
snow,  to  dry  up  the  mud,  to  clean  the  streets,  and  to  waken  the 
buds  and  flowers." 

Questions  for  expression.  (First  stanza.)  When  you  hear  the 
wind  in  winter  what  do  you  know  the  clouds  will  do?  What  does 
the  wind  do  to  the  sky?  to  the  snow?  (Second  stanza.)  When  you 
feel  the  spring  wind,  what  do  you  know?  What  does  the  wind  tell 
the  crocus  buds  to  do?  Do  they  do  it?  What  color  is  a  crocus? 
Describe  a  crocus.  (Third  stanza.)  What  three  things  does  the 
summer  wind  do  to  the  rose?  (Fourth  stanza.)  Make  the  noise 
the  autumn  wind  makes.  Show  how  it  feels.  What  does  the  wind 
do  to  the  acorn?     How  can  the  wind  plant  an  oak? 

Have  the  poem  read  several  times  and  the  story  told  by  the 
children  in  their  own  language. 

Phonic  lesson,    e  means  the  long  sound  of  e. 

1.  Review  sounds  and  phonograms  by  having  words  relating 
to  the  seasons  sounded,  as:  "In  spring  there  are  buds  (sound)." 
Teacher  writes  the  word.  "  In  spring  there  are  b  ugs."  "  In  spring 
there  are  leaves."  "In  spring  we  play  tag."  "In  spring  we  fly 
kites."  "In  spring  we  pick  flowers."  "In  spring  we  p lay  b all." 
"I  like  spring."     Make  use  of  similar  work  for  the  other  seasons. 

2.  Have  the  different  winds  blow,  and  say  the  following  from 
left  to  right  and  from  top  to  bottom: 

ate  ade  ame  ale  ake  ape 

at  &d  am  al  ak  ap 

Ite  ide  Ime  lie  Ike  ipe 


HOLTON-CURRY  THIRD   READER  21 

it  H  -  In         -  H  ik  Kp 

Ote  Ode  Ome  Ole  Oke  Ope 

Qte  Ode  Qme  ale  Qke  Qpe 

3.  Ask  the  class  to  show  you  how  long  a,  i,  0,  and  u  are  marked. 
Let  them  guess  how  long  e  would  be  marked,  and  have  words  marked, 
as  here,  tear,  eat,  each. 

4.  Take  up  the  lesson  on  page  41  in  the  regular  way. 
Page  43.    How  Tommy  Raised  the  Wind. 

See  "Suggestions  to  Teachers,"  page  224  of  the  Third  Reader. 
Page  45.   The  Night  Wind. 

Place  this  drill  on  the  board,  and  make  the  expression  very 
familiar. 

Have  you  heard  the  wind  go  "  Y 00-0-0-0"? 

Somebody  had  been  bad. 

Who's  been  bad  to-day? 

The  wind  will  moan  "  Y 00-0-0-0  V 

Whom  do  you  want,  O  lonely  night? 

a  pitiful  sound 

chill  you  through  and  through. 

far  and  wide 

hoarsely  blew 

broods  outside 

meaningful  way 

ghostly  way 

moan  in  the  ruefulest  tone 

snug  in  bed 
Pictures  to  be  imagined  by  the  children: 

1 .  A  dark,  dark  night,  and  the  wind  blowing  very  hard. 

2.  Mother  telling  a  little  child  why  the  wind  makes  such  a  noise, 

and  what  has  happened. 

3.  Child  tucked  in  bed  with  the  blankets  pulled  up  around  his 

head,  listening  to  the  wind. 

4.  Children  who  have  been  bad  grown  into  models. 

Questions  for  expression.  What  kind  of  a  noise  did  the  wind 
make,  and  what  did  it  do?  What  did  the  voice  of  the  night  say? 
Where  was  it  brooding?  What  did  you  say  to  it?  What  would 
the  night  reply?  What  do  you  mean  by  a  ghostly  w ay  ?  When  you 
were  small,  what  did  your  mother  tell  you  about  the  night?  Did 
you  believe  it?  What  happened  when  you  were  in  bed?  What 
would  you  ask?     In  what  kind  of  a  way  would  the  wind  answer? 


22  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

Say  what  it  said.  Was  what  the  wind  answered  true?  What  did 
the  child  grow  into?  What  do  you  mean  by  a  model?  If  you 
doubt,  what  test  are  you  to  make?    What  will  you  hear? 

Considerable  time  should  be  spent  upon  the  work  in  expression 
in  connection  with  this  lesson,  because  the  opportunities  for  good 
work  are  numerous  and  several  kinds  of  expression  are  clearly 
illustrated,  (i)  Word  painting  (making  the  word  express  the  idea 
for  which  it  stands) :  pitiful,  chill,  wailing,  snug,  hoarsely,  meaningful, 
ruefulest;  (2)  lengthening  the  vowel:  broods,  through  and  through, 
many,  far,  wide,  lonely,  long,  yoo-0-0-0. 

Page  47.  Exercise  for  Expression  by  Lengthening  the  Vowel. 

Review  the  kinds  of  expression  and  have  oral  illustrations  given, 
then  call  attention  to  the  work  on  page  46. 

Tell  the  class  to  say  everywhere  so  that  it  will  mean  the  whole 
world.  This  can  be  done  by  lengthening  the  first  e  and  by  thinking 
of  everywhere.  The  thought  must  be  broad  in  order  to  make  the 
word  express  the  full  meaning.  It  often  helps  for  the  teacher  to 
use  the  word  in  a  sentence  and  the  class  to  repeat  what  she  says,  as: 
"Everywhere,  everywhere,  Christmas  to-night."  "Everywhere, 
everywhere,  the  sun  is  shining."  A  way  means  distance,  and  the 
children  must  think  of  an  ever-widening  distance  before  they  can 
say  "Away,  away,  away,"  making  the  second  away  express  greater 
distance  than  the  first,  and  the  third  away  express  the  greatest 
distance. 

The  following  stanza  is  an  unusual  one  because  the  verbs  should 
be  emphasized: 

"Call  the  pigeons,  baby  dear, 
Beckon  them  to  you; 
Hear  them  answer  lovingly, 
Coo-00 !    Coo-00 !    Coo ! ' ' 
Call,  beckon,  and  hear  should  be  made  to  express  their  meaning 
through  word  painting.     The  exercises  should  be  given  in  a  loving, 
gentle  voice,  and  always  in  a  low  pitch. 

In  all  expression  exercises  the  idea  to  be  expressed  must  first 
be  made  clear  and  vivid  in  the  minds  of  the  children,  and  the  natural 
expression  will  follow. 

These  exercises  should  be  reviewed  often  in  order  to  fix  this  form 
of  expression  in  the  minds  of  the  children. 
Page  48.  Finding  a  Dark  Place. 

This  simple  little  story  is  designed  for  a  silent  reading  lesson. 


HOLTON-CURRY  THIRD  READER  23 

Have  the  children  read  the  story  several  times  at  their  seats,  and 
when  the  oral  reading  period  comes  let  them  tell  it,  using  as  many 
exact  quotations  as  possible.  After  this  work  have  the  story  read 
aloud  and  the  questions  answered. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  let  the  children  dramatize  this  lesson 
in  their  own  way,  and  have  the  teacher  play  she  is  the  audience. 

Phonic  lesson.  1.  Review  familiar  sounds  and  phonograms  by 
drawing  a  checker  board  and  placing  on  it  phonograms  for  men. 
Select  two  pupils  to  play  the  game  by  giving  the  sounds.  The  one 
who  makes  no  mistakes  has  won  the  game. 

2.  Write  arm,  ark,  are,  far,  and  car  upon  the  board,  and  have 
them  sounded.  Call  attention  to  the  sound  of  a  in  these  words, 
and  let  the  children  give  other  words  containing  the  same  sound. 
Let  them  give  such  sentences  as:  "Hark!  I  hear  a  lark  and  a 
bark."  "The  tart  is  in  the  cart."  " M ark,  spark,  and  lark  contain 
the  same  sound  of  a  as  arm." 

3.  Use  the  lesson  on  page  48  in  a  similar  way. 
Page  50.   The  Carpenter. 

Suggest  the  word  carpenter  to  the  children  by  talking  about 
building  a  house  and  the  persons  employed  to  do  the  work.  Show 
the  necessity  of  exactness  and  skill  in  the  work  of  a  carpenter,  and 
have  his  tools  named. 

Write  these  words  upon  the  board,  and  drill  upon  them: 
tools  screws  foot  rule  shelves 

plane  square  chest  joints 

hammer  nails  clever  couple 

Questions  for  thought.  What  did  the  boy  think  he  could  do? 
What  did  he  do?  (Read  the  first  stanza.)  What  did  the  carpenter 
do?  What  did  the  little  boy  find  as  he  sat  and  watched  him? 
(Read  the  second  stanza.)  What  does  the  third  stanza  tell  us  the 
carpenter  did?  How  did  he  measure?  He  labored  to  do  what? 
(Read  the  stanza,  and  be  sure  to  tell  how  he  measured  and  labored.) 
What  is  it  very  well  to  do?  How  should  carpenter  work  be  done? 
(Read  the  fourth  stanza.) 

Act  the  meaning  of  these  words,  and  tell  what  you  did:  plane, 
hammer,  bore,  measure,  saw,  as:  "I  planed  the  board;  I  hammered 
the  nail;  I  bored  a  hole." 

Phonic  lesson.  The  hard  sound  of  c  is  already  familiar.  The 
only  new  point  to  be  taught  is  the  mark,  and  this  is  easily  done  by 
calling  attention  to  the  sound  and  telling  the  class  to  look  at  the 


24  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

lesson  on  page  49  and  see  how  hard  c  is  marked.     Send  the  class  to 

the  board,  and  let  each  write  words  containing  hard  c  and  mark  the 

sound. 

Page  52.  Blackie  in  the  Trap.     (Part  I.) 

Arouse  an  interest  in  the  story  by  telling  the  class  that  a  lady 
who  teaches  little  children  has  written  a  book  of  stories  about 
animals,  called  Merry  Animal  Tales,  and  the  lesson  to  be  read  is  one 
of  them. 

This  story  is  about  some  rats  that  lived  in  the  house  of  a  rich 
man,  and  a  little  rat  that  went  there  to  visit  the  others.  The  house 
was  so  beautiful  it  was  called  a  mansion.  The  rich  man  had  a 
little  girl  named  Dorothy,  and  Mammy  Jule,  the  cook,  called  her 
Miss  Dorothy,  or  the  mistress  of  Madison  Square.  (Write  the  new 
words  as  they  are  used  in  the  story.) 

Briefly  describe  Miss  Dorothy  and  Mammy  Jule,  and  name  the 
rats  that  lived  in  the  garret.  Tell  where  the  cook  put  her  pies  and 
cakes,  and  what  the  rats  did. 

Describe  the  little  wire  house  the  cook  bought  and  put  there  to 
catch  the  rats.  Do  not  tell  what  happened  to  Blackie,  but  leave 
that  to  be  discovered  by  the  class  when  reading  the  lesson. 

The  following  words  and  sentences  may  be  used  for  a  blackboard 
drill: 

Miss  Dorothy  Brownie  chimney 

Mammy  Jule  Ringtail  elders 

Madison  Square         Snowwhite  piano 

imagination  Father  Graybeard         mistress 

We  'd  better  not  touch  that. 

Pshaw!     I  don't  believe  it! 

You  little  rats  had  better  be  careful. 

Hush,  I  hear  somebody  coming. 

Oh,  Miss  Dorothy!     Run  here  quickly! 

Blackie  was  too  scared  to  say  a  word. 

Oh,  Mammy  Jule,  please  don't! 

Please  don't  give  me  to  the  cat! 

Now  was  n't  she  a  queer  mother? 

These  special  points  are  to  be  emphasized  in  Part  I: 

I.  Father  Graybeard  telling  the  little  rats  all  about  traps. 
(Let  the  children  describe  the  traps  they  have  seen.  Let 
them  study  the  picture  and  pretend  to  listen  as  the  little 
rats  did,  then  all  scamper  away  to  the  pantry,  saying, 
"I'll  never  get  caught  in  a  trap,  no,  no,  no.") 


IIOLTON-CURRY  THIRD   READER  25 

2.  The  pantry  with  pies  and  cake  on  the  shelves. 

3.  The  queer  little  wire  house  that  stood  on  the  pantry  floor, 

and  all  the  little  rats  looking  at  it. 

4.  Blackie  in  the  little  wire  house,  and  the  other  rats  looking  at 

him. 

5.  The  cook  opening  the  pantry  door. 

6.  All  the  other  little  rats  running  away. 

The  following  questions  are  to  be  answered  by  reading  the 
sentence  or  paragraph  which  contains  the  answer:  How  much 
longer  had  Blackie  to  stay  at  Madison  Square?  Where  had  they 
been  sitting  and  what  were  they  doing  in  the  window  seat?  What 
did  Father  Gray  beard  tell  them?  What  did  they  say  and  do? 
What  was  there  in  the  pantry?  What  did  Snow  white  say?  What 
did  Blackie  say  and  do?  Read  what  Ringtail,  Snowwhite,  and 
Brownie  said.  Look  as  they  looked.  Do  what  they  did  when  the 
cook  appeared.     Look  as  Blackie  looked.     How  did  he  feel? 

Read  Part  I  several  times,  and  emphasize  the  special  points  by 
describing  them  orally. 

Page  55.  Blackie  in  the  Trap.     (Part  II.) 

Review  Part  I  by  asking  a  few  questions  and  having  certain 
expressions  repeated. 

Have  the  first  two  paragraphs  of  Part  II  read  silently,  and  lead 
the  children  to  imagine  how  the  cook  looked  when  she  stooped  down 
to  look  in  the  trap,  and  how  Blackie  felt  and  looked.  Have  the 
two  paragraphs  read  several  times. 

Paragraph  three  introduces  the  little  mistress  of  Madison 
Square.  Lead  the  children  to  imagine  how  she  looked  when  Blackie 
saw  her  playing  the  piano,  and  how  she  looked  when  she  saw  Blackie 
in  the  trap.  Let  one  child  read  the  description  of  Miss  Dorothy, 
and  another  read  what  she  said  to  Mammy  Jule.  Have  the  entire 
class  answer  Miss  Dorothy  by  reading  the  fifth  paragraph. 

Let  the  children  answer  the  following  questions  by  reading 
from  their  books:  What  did  Miss  Dorothy  say  about  giving  Blackie 
to  the  cat?  Read  what  the  big  fat  cook  said  and  did.  Imagine 
how  the  other  little  rats  felt  and  acted  when  they  saw  Blackie. 
Class  read  what  little  rats  have  to  do  before  they  believe  their 
elders.  Show  by  actions  what  happened  after  this.  Read  the 
remainder  of  the  story.     Read  the  paragraph  you  like  best. 

After  the  lesson  has  been  read,  have  certain  parts  of  the  story 
told  by  the  children,  as:  what  the  little  rats  found  in  the  pantry  and 


26 


TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 


what  Snow  white  told  Blackie  not  to  do;  what  the  cook  said  and 
did  when  she  found  Blackie;  what  Miss  Dorothy  did;  what  Blackie 
told  his  mother. 

Phonic  lesson,     i.  Draw  some  traps  and  put  words  in  them  to 
be  sounded  and  pronounced. 


*>*2S^< 


2.  Lead  the  children  to  sound  oo  in  look,  book,  cook,  nook,  and 
shook  (giving  the  short  sound). 

3.  Ask  the  class  to  tell  how  the  short  sounds  of  vowels  are 
marked.  Let  them  think  how  the  short  sound  of  00  might  be  marked. 
Mark  the  sound  in  several  words. 

4.  Call  attention  to  the  lesson  on  page  56  and  have  the  words 
sounded,  marked,  and  used  in  sentences. 

Page  59.  The  City  Mouse  and  the  Garden  Mouse. 

Have  the  poem  read  silently  and  the  following  points  given 
from  memory:  In  what  does  the  city  mouse  live?  In  what  does  the 
garden  mouse  live?  What  is  a  bower?  With  what  is  the  garden 
mouse  friendly?  What  does  he  see?  Read  the  stanza.  What 
does  the  city  mouse  eat?  What  does  the  garden  mouse  eat?  Does 
he  ever  go  hungry?  What  is  he  called?  Why  is  he  called  poor? 
Which  mouse  would  you  rather  be?     Read  the  entire  lesson. 

Let  a  child  be  the  teacher  and  question  the  class  about  the  two 


Page  61.  Appleseed  John. 

Read  the  entire  poem  to  the  class  and  have  the  quotations  used 
in  the  story  repeated  several  times.     Call  attention  to  the  patience 


HOLTON-CURRY   THIRD   READER  27 

and  unselfishness  of  the  old  man.  Show  how  his  work  was  for  all 
mankind,  not  for  himself.  Arouse  respect  for  such  work,  and 
admiration  for  one  who  does  it. 

Pictures  to  be  imagined  from  the  description: 

1.  A  poor  old  man  sitting  thinking  of  what  he  could  do  to  help 

others. 

2.  The  old  man  when  he  thought  of  the  way  and  decided  to 

take  apples  in  payment  for  work. 

3.  The  old  man  cutting  out  the  apple  cores  and  putting  them 

into  a  bag. 

4.  The  old  man  whistling  and  singing  as  he  walks  along,  now 

and  then  stopping  to  dig  a  hole  and  plant  a  seed. 

5.  The  people  watching  for  him,  and  their  joy  when  he  comes. 

6.  The  trees  bending  low  with  fruit  in  after  years. 

Have  the  parts  of  the  story  that  describe  the  pictures  read. 

Page  65.  Do  You? 

This  little  exercise  has  a  threefold  purpose;  to  give  variety, 
to  cultivate  observation,  and  to  drill  upon  enunciation.  Let  the 
children  enjoy  it  thoroughly  and  dramatize  it  in  their  own  way. 
The  illustration  will  assist  in  this.  The  enunciation  work  can  be 
enlarged  and  emphasized  by  allowing  each  child  to  ask  a  question 
which  begins  with  Do  you,  as,  " Do  you  like  apples ? "  "Do  you  see 
the  elephant ? "  "Do  you  know  me?"  To  avoid  monotony,  have 
them  asked  very  rapidly. 

Page  66.   April. 

These  few  lines  contain  a  beautiful  picture  of  spring  expressed 
in  words.  Talk  about  the  month,  how  the  trees  look,  what  the 
flowers  are  doing,  and  so  on.  Then  ask  the  class  to  tell  in  what 
kind  of  a  voice  they  think  a  spring  poem  should  be  read,  and  why. 
Let  them  study  the  first  line,  and  say  "Good  morning"  as  sweetly 
as  possible.  Why  call  April  winsome  and  shy?  What  makes  her 
smile?  What  is  the  tear  in  her  eye?  What  flowers  are  mentioned? 
The  expression  work  in  this  dainty  little  word  picture  is  all  word 
painting  and  should  be  done  with  great  nicety  of  enunciation  and 
feeling.  Shy,  sweet,  winsome,  smile,  pretty,  bonny  blue,  and  clustering 
should  be  made  emphatic  through  word  painting,  softness  of  voice, 
and  appreciation  of  the  beauties  of  spring.  Have  the  little  poem 
committed  to  memory,  and  often  repeated  as  the  introduction  to 
a  lesson  or  the  opening  of  a  school  session. 


28  TEACHERS1   NOTEBOOK 

Page  66.   An  Apple  Orchard  in  the  Spring. 

This  is  a  continuation  of  the  same  thought  found  in  "April" 
and  should  be  handled  in  a  similar  way. 

Pictures  to  be  imagined  before  the  lesson  is  read: 

1.  An  orchard  in  winter. 

2.  An  orchard  in   the  spring  when  all   the   trees  are  loaded 

with  blossoms  and  the  birds  are  singing  their  sweetest 
songs. 

Show  pictures  of  apple  blossoms  if  you  cannot  get  the  real 
blossoms.  The  lesson  should  be  carefully  studied  and  the  difficult 
points  explained  before  the  oral  reading  is  begun. 

Questions  for  expression.  (First  stanza.)  What  time  of  year 
is  the  author  of  our  poem  talking  about?  What  two  questions 
does  the  poem  ask?  Why  do  you  suppose  the  author  talked  about 
an  apple  orchard  in  the  spring  instead  of  in  the  winter?  What  does 
he  say  about  the  trees?  What  bird  does  he  mention?  Why  does 
he  "pipe  his  story"?  Read  the  first  stanza.  (Second  stanza.) 
Show  what  plucked,  bursting,  crumpled,  petals,  and  delight  mean. 
Name  another  "subtle  odor."  What  does  the  author  ask  if  you  have 
done?  (Answer  by  reading.)  Read  the  description  of  the  blos- 
soms. What  is  it  just  to  touch  them?  Read  the  entire  stanza. 
Read  the  whole  lesson. 

This  poem  contains  more  stanzas,  which  are  not  given  here. 
Sometime  you  will  enjoy  them  all. 

Phonic  lesson.  I.  Review  all  the  sounds  of  a  that  are  familiar, 
and  have  words  containing  them  given  by  the  children.  Let  them 
play  tag,  and  instead  of  saying  "tag,"  give  a  sound  of  a. 

2.  Give  rapidly  from  left  to  right: 

at  am  ag  ad  ab  an  ak  al 
ate  ame  age  ade  abe  ane  ake  ale 
arm     ard       ark      arb       arp      arg       am      arf 

3.  Have  the  words  containing  a  as  in  care  sounded  and  pro- 
nounced, as  in  the  lesson  on  page  64. 

Page  68.  The  Real  Princess. 

Give  a  little  information  concerning  countries  in  which  there 
are  kings  and  queens,  and  have  a  few  such  countries  named.  Talk 
about  royal  families,  and  tell  the  children  that  in  England  the  son 
of  a  king  and  queen  is  called  a  prince  and  the  daughter  a  princess. 

Arouse  interest  in  royal  families  and  their  children,  then  have 
the  lesson  studied  and  read  in  sections  or  paragraphs. 


IIOLTON-CURRY   THIRD   READER  29 

Special  points  of  the  story: 

1.  A  prince  wanted  to  marry  a  real  princess,  and  searched  every- 

where for  one. 

2.  Why  did  n't  he  marry  one  of  those  he  found? 

3.  How  the  prince  felt  when  he  returned  home. 

4.  The  home  of  the  prince,  and  who  lived  in  the  castle  with  him. 

5.  The  terrible  storm,  and  what  happened  in  the  middle  of  it. 

6.  The  princess,  and  how  she  looked. 

7.  Why  the  old  queen  thought  she  was  not  a  real  princess. 

8.  What  the  queen  did  to  find  out  whether  or  not  the  girl  was  a 

real  princess. 

9.  What  the  princess  said  about  how  she  had  slept,  and  what 

that  proved. 
10.  The  marriage  of  the  prince  and  the  real  princess.     Where  the 

pea  was  placed. 
After  the  story  has  been  read,  have  it  told  in  parts  and  as  a 
whole. 

Phonic  lesson.  I.  Review  hard  c  and  its  mark,  and  have  sen- 
tences given  containing  the  sound,  as:  "A  cat  can  catch  a  mouse." 
"Castles,  canes,  cakes,  candies,  cookies,  collars,  and  corn  begin  with 
hard  c" 

2.  Write  on  the  board  several  words  containing  soft  c  and  have 
them  sounded.  Tell  the  class  that  soft  c  is  marked  Q.  Let  them 
make  lists  of  words  and  mark  the  c  in  each  word. 

3.  Have  the  lesson  on  page  68  recited  by  each  member  of  the  class. 

Page  72.  In  Trust. 

"In  Trust"  should  be  read  in  a  happy,  expectant  tone,  and  special 
attention  given  to  expression.  Have  the  lesson  read  silently  and 
the  thought  gained. 

Read  the  part  which  tells  what  is  coming.  Read  what  you  are 
to  do  in  the  New  Year.  Read  the  last  three  lines,  and  tell  what 
God  does.  Read  and  memorize  the  entire  lesson.  In  reading,  the 
words  almost,  grand,  glad,  bad,  live,  gain,  give,  trying,  sighing,  striving, 
hold,  sendeth,  and  lendeth  should  be  made  emphatic  by  a  combina- 
tion of  word  painting  and  lengthening  the  vowel.  Few  selections 
have  as  many  illustrations  of  this  point  or  contain  as  many  verbs 
to  be  emphasized. 

Phonic  lesson.  1 .  Let  the  children  give  New  Year's  gifts  to  their 
classmates  by  sounding  the  words,  as:     "John,  I  give  you  a  beautiful 


30  TEACHERS1   NOTEBOOK 

book."  "Thank  you,  Mary."  Mary  tells  what  she  did.  "I 
gave  John  a  beautiful  book."  "Helen,  I  give  you  a  dainty  card." 
"Thank  you,  Jane."  "I  gave  Helen  a  dainty  card."  "Henry,  I 
give  you  this  pocket  knife."     "Thank  you,  Charles." 

This  is  an  excellent  language  lesson  as  well  as  a  phonic  review. 

2.  Review  the  hard  sound  of  g  by  having  the  words  in  the  lesson 
on  page  69  sounded.  Call  attention  to  how  hard  g  is  marked,  and 
let  the  children  mark  the  g  in  each  word  by  tracing  with  the  eraser 
end  of  their  pencils. 

Page  73.  Tommy  Tinker's  Charm  String. 

When  "Tommy  Tinker's  Charm  String"  is  to  be  read,  ask  the 
children  to  bring  buttons  to  school.  Tell  them  the  use  to  be  made 
of  the  buttons  is  a  secret,  but  ask  them  to  bring  the  prettiest  ones 
they  can  find.  The  teacher  should  either  bring  a  charm  string, 
or  ask  a  child  who  has  one  to  do  so. 

In  the  morning,  tell  them  about  the  charm  strings  you  had  when 
you  were  a  little  girl,  and  how  proud  and  happy  you  were  when  you 
could  add  a  pretty  button  to  your  collections.  Make  a  charm  string 
from  the  buttons  brought,  and  tell  the  children  they  are  to  read 
about  the  charm  strings  made  by  some  of  their  friends.  Let  them 
open  their  books  and  discover  the  names  of  the  friends  they  are  to 
read  about,  and  the  name  of  the  story. 

Have  the  first  page  studied,  read  silently,  then  read  aloud  as 
indicated: 

Read  who  was  getting  up  a  charm  string. 

Read  the  description  of  a  charm  string. 

Read  about  Daffy-down-dilly's  button. 

What  happened  one  day? 

Who  found  the  button? 

Read  what  Tommy  Tinker  said  when  he  found  it. 

Study  the  remainder  of  the  story. 

Read  the  paragraph  which  tells  how  the  button  looked  on 
Tommy's  string. 

Read  about  how  Tommy  felt. 

Read  what  Tommy  Tinker's  buttons  said  and  who  knew  what 
was  the  matter  with  Tommy  Tinker. 

Read  what  the  clock  said  to  him  and  what  he  did. 

Read  the  remainder  of  the  lesson. 

Tell  the  story  in  your  own  words. 

Phonic  lesson,    do  means  the  long  sound  of  00. 


HOLTON-CURRY   THIRD   READER 


3i 


1.  Draw  a  charm  string  and  use  sounds  and  phonograms  for 
buttons.  Have  the  buttons  named  up  and  down  the  string.  Have 
the  largest  button  named,  the  smallest. 


2.  Let  the  teacher  sound  words  containing  long  00  and  the 
children  write  the  words  in  a  column,  as:  m  oon,  r  oom,  s  oon,  gl  oom, 
br  oom,  p  ool,  sch  ool,  t  ool.  Ask  what  combination  of  letters  appears 
in  each  word.  Have  the  sound  given  many  times.  Ask  how  short 
00  was  marked.  Let  the  children  tell  how  they  think  long  00  should 
be  marked,  and  then  consult  their  books  to  confirm  their  work. 

3.  Have  the  words  in  the  lesson  on  page  73  sounded  and  used 
in  sentences. 

Page  77.    Buttons. 

This  interesting  little  Mother  Goose  rime  should  be  used  as  a 
game,  as  an  expression  exercise,  and  as  a  reading  lesson. 

Children  are  always  interested  in  selling  things,  and  enjoy  the 
acting  connected  with  it.  Let  them  study  the  rime  and  discover 
what  is  to  be  sold,  the  price  of  the  buttons,  their  attractive 
qualities,  and  for  whom  they  are  suitable. 

After  these  points  are  definitely  fixed,  lead  them  to  think  how 
they  would  manage  to  attract  the  attention  of  people  to  their 


32  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

buttons  and  get  them  to  buy.  Lead  them  to  see  that  they  would 
have  to  call  in  a  loud  tone,  and  to  describe  their  buttons  in  an 
attractive  way.  Let  one  child  read  and  the  others  play  they  are 
people  on  the  street  and  pass  hurriedly  along.  If  the  reader  calls 
"Buttons,  a  farthing  a  pair!"  in  the  right  way,  the  passers-by 
should  stop  and  listen  to  the  description,  and  some  of  them  buy. 
If  the  reading  is  poorly  done,  no  one  should  stop.  In  reading,  the  u 
in  button,  o  in  come,  and  ou  in  round,  the  sound  should  be  lengthened 
to  give  the  desired  effect.  Work  with  the  rime  until  it  can  be 
repeated  and  acted  from  memory. 
Page  77.  The  Pig  and  the  Hen. 

This  poem  describes  a  quarrel  between  a  pig  and  a  hen,  and 
certain  parts  of  it  should  be  read  in  a  quarrelsome,  defiant  tone,  and 
the  remainder  in  a  conciliatory  way.  Call  attention  to  the  fact  that 
the  pig  was  much  larger  and  stronger  than  the  hen,  and  as  soon  as  she 
realized  that,  she  began  to  flatter  the  pig  and  he  responded  at  once 
to  the  soft  answer  and  was  willing  to  share  his  pen  and  his  trough 
with  her.  Have  illustrations  given,  from  the  experience  of  the  chil- 
dren, of  how  easy  it  is  to  stir  up  quarrels  by  a  disagreeable  tone  or  ac- 
tion, and  how  easy  it  is  to  avoid  them  by  being  reasonable  and  kind. 

Ask  the  children  to  give  words  that  mean  almost  the  same  as 
the  following: 

push  snout  ill-natured  cribs 

boss  rough  brute  amazed 

strife  anger  grateful  allow 

Have  each  stanza  read  silently  and  then  ask  one  or  two  questions 
to  call  attention  to  the  principal  points.  Let  one  child  read  what 
the  hen  says  and  another  what  the  pig  says,  and  the  entire  class 
read  the  descriptive  part.  After  the  first  reading,  assign  the  para- 
graphs and  have  them  read  by  different  individuals. 

Phonic  lesson.     The  sound  of  ph  and  gh  like  /  was  taught  on 
page  23.     Therefore  the  lesson  on  page  78  is  simply  a  review  les- 
son, and  should  be  given  without  devices.     Have  the  words  sounded 
and  used  in  sentences. 
Page  82.   The  Pig  and  the  Hen.     (Dramatization.) 

The  story  told  in  the  poem  is  dramatized  here  in  a  simple  way. 
Have  the  lesson  read  silently,  and  then  aloud,  before  the  acting  is 
attempted;  then  assign  the  parts  and  follow  the  lesson  as  outlined. 

This  lesson  gives  an  excellent  opportunity  for  voice  training  and 
it  should  be  improved. 


HOLTON-CURRY  THIRD   READER 


33 


I 

8 

I 

e 

do 

oo 

6 

i 

Phonic  lesson,     a  means  the  sound  of  a  in  far. 

1.  Review  sounds  and  marks  by  placing  them  upon  slips  of  paper 
and  giving  each  child  a  slip  as: 

a  6  €  oo 

a  0  5  do 

u  a  €  I 

a  g  O  a 

Have  the  sounds  given  rapidly  from  the  slips. 

2.  Sound  and  pronounce: 

arm  far 

harm  sharp 

Call  attention  to  the  sound  a  has  in  these  words,  and  show  how  it 
should  be  marked. 

3.  Sound  and  pronounce  the  words  given  on  page  80.  Drill 
upon  the  mark  which  indicates  the  sound  of  a  in  arm. 

Page  84.  The  Man  in  the  Moon. 

After  the  lesson  has  been  read  silently  have  the  story  told  several 
times  by  different  children. 

Ask  the  class  if  they  think  this  is  a  true  story?  If  not,  why  is  it 
put  in  the  book?  What  lesson  does  it  teach?  Let  the  children 
question  one  another  about  the  points  of  the  story,  as,  "What  did 
the  squirrels  do  when  they  saw  the  man  working  on  Sunday?" 
Have  the  oral  reading  after  a  thorough  test  has  been  made  of  the 
ability  to  get  thought  through  silent  reading. 

Phonic  lesson,     g  means  the  soft  sound  of  g. 


1.  Make  a  bundle  of  fagots  and  place  sounds  upon  them.     Have 
them  carried  by  giving  the  sound. 


34  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

2.  Review  the  sound  of  soft  g  by  calling  attention  to  words 
containing  it,  as  "A  gentleman  saw  a  gun."  "The  gentle  German 
gentleman  has  a  pigeon." 

3.  Call  attention  to  the  work  in  phonics  on  page  82  and  let  the 
children  discover  how  soft  g  is  marked.  Let  them  copy  the  words 
on  slips  of  paper  and  mark  the  g  in  each  word. 

Page  86.  Expression  through  Force  and  Word  Painting. 

Expression  by  force  is  very  simply  and  easily  taught  because 
so  often  used.  Have  many  oral  commands  given  before  the  drill 
in  the  book  is  read.  This  prepares  the  thought  and  brings  better 
results  in  connection  with  the  work  in  the  book. 

Lead  the  children  to  imagine  themselves  captains  commanding 
companies  and  to  say,  "Halt!"  "Fire!"  and  give  other  commands 
as  captains  would.  Make  the  conditions  real  before  the  drill  is 
attempted.  Use  action  work,  when  necessary,  to  do  this.  Remem- 
ber, in  every  case  feeling  goes  before  expression. 

Expression  through  word  painting  can  be  gained  only  by  bringing 
the  picture  to  be  painted  clearly  before  the  minds  of  the  children. 
When  a  child  is  to  make  the  word  fun  express  the  idea  for  which  it 
stands,  he  must  think  fun,  and  then  he  can  put  it  into  the  work; 
otherwise  it  is  impossible.  When  he  is  to  make  snuggle  express  the 
idea  of  a  little  bird  peacefully  resting  under  the  breast  of  the  mother 
bird,  he  must  think  how  he  enjoys  having  his  little  kitten  snuggle 
close  to  him.  In  every  case,  the  idea  must  be  brought  clearly  to 
mind  before  correct  expression  is  possible. 

Have  the  sentences  read  by  individuals,  then  given  as  a  class 
exercise. 
Page  87.  Little  Pilgrim  People.     (Part  I.) 

Recall  facts  about  the  life  experience  of  the  Pilgrims  in  England 
and  Holland,  the  crossing  of  the  ocean,  the  landing  in  America, 
and  the  conditions  they  found  in  New  England.  Tell  stories  of 
the  primitive  homes,  and  bring  out  the  special  characteristics 
of  those  fearless,  courageous,  strong-hearted  fathers  and  mothers  of 
long  ago.  Show  pictures  of  the  Pilgrims,  and  arouse  a  genuine 
interest  in  them  and  their  children.  Have  some  Pilgrim  children 
named,  and  facts  about  them  given. 

Questions  for  expression.  In  what  kind  of  a  ship  did  the 
Pilgrim  people  cross  the  ocean?  Why  is  it  called  "white  winged"  ? 
What  kind  of  a  journey  was  it?  What  do  you  mean  by  a  "weary 
journey"  ?    Would  it  be  a  weary  journey  now  to  cross  the  Atlantic 


IIOLTON-CURRY  THIRD  READER  35 

Ocean?  Why  not?  Why  should  we  bless  the  wind  that  blew  the 
Pilgrims  here? 

Have  the  stanza  read  and  memorized.  It  should  be  remembered 
by  all  the  class  and  repeated  often,  because  of  its  beautiful  thought 
and  expression  of  appreciation. 

Special  features  of  the  lesson  to  be  made  clear  by  questioning 
and  imagination : 

1.  The  grown-up  Pilgrim  people,  and  what  they  did. 

2.  How   the  little   Pilgrim   people   looked.     What   they   were 

taught  to  do.    What  the  Pilgrim  mother  said  about  going 
to  bed. 

3.  The  little  Pilgrim  people  at  meal  time. 

4.  What  the  little  girls  were  taught  to  do.     What  the  boys  did. 

5.  What  kind  of  children  they  were,  and  what  they  had  time 

to  do. 
Have  the  lesson  read  and  thoroughly  understood,  because  the 
facts  are  important  and  should  be  remembered. 

Page  91.  Little  Pilgrim  People.     (Part  II.) 

Review  the  information  gained  from  Part  I,  and  arouse  interest 
in  the  schools  of  the  little  Pilgrim  people  by  allowing  the  class  to 
imagine  what  kind  of  schools  they  had  in  the  days  of  long  ago. 
Then  have  the  story  read  to  discover  the  facts. 

1.  What  you  may  be  wishing  and  thinking.     What  the  Pilgrim 

children  did  as  soon  as  they  could  walk  and  talk. 

2.  Why  the  Pilgrim  children  had  to  go  to  school.     What  kind 

of  fathers  they  must  be. 

3.  Where  the  school  was  held.     Who  the  teacher  was,  and  what 

she  sometimes  did  while  the  children  studied  and  recited. 

4.  Comparison  of  those  schools  with  ours  of  to-day.     What 

the  girls  were  taught.     The  books  used. 

5.  Description  of  the  Sabbath,  and  what  the  children  did  not 

dare  do.    Who  went  to  church.     How  they  were  seated 
in   church. 

6.  The  tithingman  and  his  long  pole.     What  he  did  to  the  chil- 

dren.    What  kind  of  people  these  children  became  when 
they  grew  up. 
After  the  oral  reading  have  the  story  told  by  different  children, 
letting  one  describe  the  journey,  another  the  landing,  another  what 
the  children  did,  and  another  their  schools. 

Phonic  lesson.    This  review  lesson  is  an  application  of  marks 


36 


TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 


already  taught.  Use  the  work  as  arranged  in  the  Reader,  page  90, 
calling  attention  to  the  marks  and  sounds.  The  enunciation  exer- 
cises should  afford  amusement  as  well  as  give  drill  upon  clearness  of 
expression  and  distinct  utterance.  Have  the  sentences  read  by 
individuals,  then  given  in  concert.  Children  enjoy  these  exercises 
because  the  repetition  of  initial  sounds  is  unusual. 
Page  95.  The  Snowbird. 

Give  the  children  a  mental  picture  of  a  section  of  country  covered 
with  snow.     Lead  them  to  tell  how  many  birds  they  would  expect 


z^- 


/• 


\L 


*^ 


V 


■fr* 


<?^ 


to  find  there,  and,  if  there  were  any,  what  they  would  be  obliged  to 
eat.  Tell  them  there  are  birds,  called  snowbirds,  that  are  not 
afraid  of  snow.  Call  attention  to  the  picture  in  their  books.  Have 
the  birds  described. 

One  can  often  see  their  little  star-like  tracks  after  a  storm. 
The  birds  sometimes  come  near  houses,  and  the  children  feed 
them  crumbs.  They  seem  to  like  the  cold  days  and  pretty  white 
snow. 

Have  the  poem  read  silently  and  the  following  questions  answered 
before  the  oral  reading: 


HOLTON-CURRY  THIRD  READER  37 

i.  When  does  the  snowbird  come?    What  does  he  do?    Why 
does  he  hop  about? 

2.  How  does  he  seem?    What  makes  him  glad?    Does  he  wear 

shoes  or  hat? 

3.  What  makes  the  snowbird  happiest?     Let  the  children  draw 

on  the  blackboard  star-like  tracks  such  as  the  snowbird 
makes. 
Page  96.  My  Lady  Wind. 

The  wind  in  this  poem  is  pictured  as  a  gentle,  beautiful,  woman 
called  My  Lady  Wind,  and  the  season  is  summer. 

Directions  to  the  class.  Read  the  lines  which  tell  how  tall 
My  Lady  Wind  is;  read  the  lines  which  tell  about  her  hands. 
Describe  how  she  steps  by  reading  the  lines.  Read  the  descrip- 
tion of  My  Lady  Wind,  and  what  she  almost  says.  Read  the 
entire  lesson. 

Phonic  lesson.  1.  For  review,  make  many  snowbird  tracks 
and  place  a  word  or  phonogram  upon  each  one.  Have  the  birds 
frightened  away  by  sounding  the  words  or  pronouncing  the  phono- 
grams. Or  call  the  phonograms  flakes  of  snow  and  have  a  heavy 
storm,  giving  the  sounds  rapidly. 

2.  Make  a  picture  of  a  sleigh  drawn  by  eight  reindeer  and  read 
to  the  children  the  poem,  "The  Night  before  Christmas."  Write 
the  words  sleigh,  reindeer,  eight,  and  they  on  the  board,  and  have 
them  sounded.  Lead  the  children  to  discover  which  letters  say  d 
in  these  words,  and  to  state  that  ei  says  d  in  sleigh,  and  ey  says  a 
in  they.     Make  the  work  thorough. 

3.  Drill  upon  the  new  point  by  having  the  words  on  page  93 
sounded  and  the  letters  named  which  say  a. 

Page  97.  How  Fire  Came  to  the  Indians. 

The  title  of  this  story  will  arouse  interest  because  it  suggests 
a  mystery  about  the  Indians. 

Do  not  tell  the  details  of  the  story  to  the  class,  but  let  them 
learn  them  through  the  reading.  Review  some  of  the  character- 
istic habits  and  customs  of  the  Indians,  and  have  an  Indian  village 
described. 

Write  on  the  board  the  names  of  the  animals  and  the  other 
unusual  words  in  the  lesson,  and  have  them  sounded  and  pronounced. 
When  they  are  easily  recognized,  refer  to  the  lesson,  having  it  studied, 
paragraph  by  paragraph,  and  read  aloud. 

Points  to  be  brought  out  through  questioning  and  reasoning, 
and  pictures  to  be  imagined: 


38  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

i.  When  this  story  happened. 

2.  How  many  sparks  of  fire  there  were,  and  by  whom  guarded. 

3.  Why  the  Indians  wanted  the  spark  of  fire. 

4.  Who  promised  to  help  them,  and  who  was  to  be  the  leader. 

5.  How  the  animals  were  arranged.     (Make  this  arrangement 

through  imagination.) 

6.  Description  of  the  witches.     The  coyote  calling  upon  the 

witches,  and  their  conversation. 

7.  The  signal,  and  what  the  animals  did. 

8.  The  frightened  witches,  and  the  coyote  stealing  the  ember 

and  running  away. 

9.  The  animals  running  with  the  spark  of  fire  and  the  witches 

in  hot  pursuit. 

10.  What  happened  to  the  frog  for  giving  the  fire  to  the  Indians. 
After  the  lesson  has  been  read  several  times,  have  the  legend 

told  by  different  children  and  then  dramatized. 

Phonic  drill.  Follow  the  plan  of  the  lesson  in  the  Reader, 
page  98,  drilling  upon  each  line  (quality  of  voice)  until  it  is  easily 
and  naturally  given  by  individuals  and  by  the  class  in  concert. 

The  "Exercise  for  Enunciation"  on  page  98  at  once  suggests  a 
pair  of  fur  mittens  made  with  the  fur  inside.  Talk  about  when 
such  mittens  would  be  worn,  and  by  whom.  Have  the  lesson  read 
slowly,  and  the  sound  of  s  given  very  distinctly.  Let  the  children 
laugh  and  get  some  fun  out  of  the  exercise.  They  will  enjoy  memo- 
rizing it,  and  giving  it  sometimes  as  a  rest  exercise — which  helps  the 
enunciation. 

Page  103.  Spring. 

This  poem  is  a  simple  description  of  spring  and  what  it  brings 
to  the  children.  The  reading  should  lead  them  to  discover  new 
beauties  and  to  appreciate  the  springtime  more  than  ever  before. 

Pictures  to  be  imagined  as  the  stanzas  are  read: 

1.  Alders  and  willows  growing  beside  a  river.     The  silvery-gray 

coats  of  the  pussy  willows  and  the  yellow,  powdery  curls 
when  they  take  off  their  coats.  (If  possible,  have  twigs  in 
different  stages  of  development  to  show  to  the  children.) 

2.  Birds  flying  over  and  singing  spring  songs  to  the  happy 

children.  (Have  the  children  close  their  eyes  and  see  the 
birds  in  imagination,  then  describe  those  they  saw.) 

3.  The  green  grass  growing  so  soft,  and  the  frogs  croaking. 

4.  The  coming  of  buttercups,  dandelions,  and  scarlet  columbine. 


UOLTON-CURRY   THIRD  READER  39 

5.  Children  gathering  bunches  of  white  and  gold  daisies. 

6.  Red  clover  and  blue  violets  peeping  at  them.     Who  made 

them  all? 

Questions  for  oral  lesson.  Which  flower  mentioned  do  you  prefer? 
Why  do  you  prefer  it?  What  did  the  alder  do  when  spring  came? 
How  did  the  grass  feel  beneath  the  children's  feet?  How  many 
daisies  did  they  gather? 

Phonic  drill,     e  as  in  over. 

This  is  a  difficult  sound  and  should  be  taught  carefully.  It 
always  occurs  with  the  letter  r  and  seems  to  contain  a  part  of  the  r 
sound.  Develop  the  sound  from  the  word  her,  and  drill  upon  it. 
The  only  way  to  drill  upon  sounds  is  to  have  them  given  over  and 
over  individually.  Concert  work  should  never  be  employed  until 
each  child  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  sound. 

When  the  sound  is  clearly  given,  call  attention  to  the  lists  of 
words  on  page  100  and  have  them  sounded,  drilling  upon  the  er  in 
every  case. 

Exercise  for  enunciation.  Have  a  heart-to-heart  talk  with  the 
children  about  promptness  in  all  things,  and  particularly  in  obedience. 
Let  them  express  their  own  opinions  and  give  illustrations  from  their 
own  experiences.  Call  attention  to  the  special  points  by  asking  such 
questions  as:  "About  whom  are  we  to  read?"  "What  did  each 
one  say?"  "What  are  To-morrow,  Pretty  Soon,  and  By  and  By 
called?"  "Where  do  the  streets  lead?"  "Have  any  of  you  ever 
been  on  those  streets?"  "Why  should  they  be  avoided?" 
Page  105.   Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spikky  Sparrow. 

Information  concerning  the  habits  and  nests  of  sparrows  should 
be  given  before  the  poem  is  read.  Tell  how  sparrows  were  brought 
here  from  England,  and  how  rapidly  they  have  multiplied.  If 
possible,  show  an  old  nest  and  let  the  children  discover  the  many 
kinds  of  material  used  in  it;  also,  that  it  is  an  untidy  nest. 

Place  the  song  of  the  sparrow,  given  in  the  last  three  lines  of 
each  stanza,  upon  the  board  and  teach  it  as  an  enunciation  drill 
before  the  reading  is  attempted.  All  difficult  words  should  be  made 
familiar  by  drill. 

insects  sniffle-snuffle  galloobious 

cough  neuralgia  genteel 

Cloxam  completely  monument 

The  poem  should  be  studied  and  read  in  thought-sections,  and 
the  picture  of  each  section  imagined  as  vividly  as  possible. 


40  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

i.  The  position  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spikky  Sparrow.  What  Mrs. 
Spikky  Sparrow  was  making  for  her  children  five.  The  song 
she  was  singing  to  them. 

2.  Mrs.  Spikky  Sparrow  asleep.     Her  dream.     Mr.  and  Mrs. 

Spikky  Sparrow  discussing  the  dream. 
Questions  for  expression.  What  came  to  Mrs.  Spikky?  What 
were  they  like?  What  did  she  hear  all  night?  What  did  she  think 
made  Mr.  Spikky  cough  and  snuff?  What  did  Mr.  Spikky  say  to 
Mrs.  Spikky  about  her  dream?  Read  what  Mr.  Spikky  was  think- 
ing when  he  saw  Mrs.  Spikky  winking  and  heard  her  snuffle. 

3.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spikky  Sparrow  going  to  London.     The  things 

they  bought  in  Moses'  shop. 

4.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spikky  Sparrow  dressed  in  their  new  clothes. 

The  surprise  of  the  baby  sparrows,  and  what  they  said. 

Read  what  the  birds  expected  the  bonnet,  hat,  sack,  and  other 
articles  of  clothing  to  do  for  them. 
Page  110.  The  Swiss  Family  Robinson  Dogs. 

Tell  the  children  about  the.  book  called  The  Swiss  Family  Robinson 
and  enough  of  the  story  to  arouse  interest.  Then  let  the  lesson 
tell  the  details  of  the  story  about  the  dogs. 

Lead  the  children  to  imagine  how  the  ship  looked  when  it  was 
ready  to  sail  for  the  new  land,  and  how  the  passengers  felt.  Have 
them  close  their  eyes  and  hear  the  water  splash,  and  the  sailors  call, 
"Pull  in  the  gangplank,  boys!" 

Have  the  first  four  paragraphs  read  silently,  then  ask  questions 
about  them. 

Questions  for  expression.  Who  is  telling  the  story?  Describe 
the  dogs.  (If  necessary,  call  attention  to  the  illustration  on  page 
108.)  Who  was  their  master?  How  did  the  dogs  feel  about  being 
shut  up  in  the  cabin?  What  was  all  they  could  hear?  What  hap- 
pened one  night?  Close  your  eyes,  and  see  the  ship  as  it  tossed  and 
tumbled,  and  then  hit  a  great  rock.  What  did  all  the  passengers 
except  one  family  do?  What  did  the  dogs  think?  Who  jumped 
into  the  lifeboats?  Close  your  eyes,  and  see  them  getting  into  the 
boats  and  rowing  away.  How  full  are  the  boats?  Describe  how 
they  look  to  you.  Where  was  the  Robinson  family  when  the  crash 
came?  Why  did  n't  they  go  with  the  others?  When  they  went  on 
deck  and  found  they  were  alone,  what  did  they  do?  Tell  what  they 
saw  next  morning. 

Have  the  four  paragraphs  read  with  feeling  and  expression. 


HOLTON-CURRY   THIRD  READER  41 

Proceed  in  a  similar  way  with  the  remainder  of  the  lesson,  being 
sure  to  have  the  thought  clear  and  the  mental  pictures  vivid  before 
the  oral  reading  is  done. 

Pictures  to  be  imagined  through  silent  reading  and  questioning 
for  thought: 

I 

The  ship  as  it  sailed  away. 

The  dogs  chained  in  the  cabin. 

The  storm,  and  the  scene  on  the  deck  of  the  ship. 

The  lifeboats  filled  with  passengers  rowing  away. 

The  Robinson  family  kneeling  in  prayer. 

What  they  saw  next  morning,  and  how  they  felt. 

Making  the  raft. 

James  when  he  discovered  the  dogs;  what  he  did. 

Mr.  Robinson  when  James  asked  to  take  the  dogs  on  the  raft. 

How  the  dogs  looked  and  felt  when  they  heard  what  Mr.  Robin- 
son said  about  taking  them. 

Loading  the  raft. 

The  raft  when  it  pushed  off,  with  the  ducks  and  geese  swimming 
beside  it,  the  pigeons  flying  over. 

The  dogs  watching  the  raft  move  away. 

The  dogs  jumping  into  the  water  and  the  joy  of  the  children  when 
they  saw  them  close  behind. 

The  landing  of  the  raft,  and  the  dogs  barking  a  welcome. 

How  the  Robinsons  felt,  and  what  they  called  the  dogs. 

II 

Putting  up  the  tent  and  getting  supper.     Eating  supper.     The 

night. 
The  trip,  and  the  wonderful  things  that  were  seen. 
The  troop  of  monkeys;  what  they  did. 
The  monkeys  throwing   coconuts.     Mr.    Robinson   and   Fritz 

filling  their  bags. 
The  killing  of  the  mother  monkey,  and  Fritz  scolding. 
Fritz  carrying  the  baby  monkey. 
,  Turk  with  the  baby  monkey  riding  on  his  back. 
Children  running  to  meet  them,  and  how  they  felt  when  they 

saw  the  baby  monkey.     Nip  sucking  the  handkerchief  dipped 

in  coconut  milk. 


42 


TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 


III 

The  fight  with  the  porcupine. 

Fritz  coming  to  the  rescue  of  the  dogs. 

Turk  in  his  blanket. 

How  Fan  lost  her  life. 

What  was  written  for  Fan's  tombstone. 

Select  phrases  and  sentences  which  call  for  special  work  in 
expression  and  write  them  on  the  blackboard.  Drill  upon  them 
before  the  lesson  is  read. 

After  the  lesson  has  been  read  assign  parts  of  the  story  to  differ- 
ent children  and  have  them  told  in  an  interesting  way. 

Phonic  lesson,    a  as  in  ask. 

By  means  of  this  device  review  all  the  sounds  of  a  learned,  and 
then  drill  upon  the  sound  of  a  in  ask,  as  that  is  to  be  the  lesson  for 
the  day. 

ask 


/jt'   A,   :a 


Sound  and  pronounce  the  words  of  the  lesson  on  page  109  and 
use  them  in  sentences. 

Phonic  lesson,    a  in  care. 


Load  a  raft  with  articles  containing  the  different  sounds  of  a, 
of  hard  and  soft  c,  and  other  sounds.  Let  the  children  suggest  the 
articles,  and  tell  how  to  mark  the  sounds. 


UOLTON-CURRY  THIRD  READER  43 

Give  words  containing  the  sound  of  a  as  in  care  and  let  the  chil- 
dren add  to  those  you  have  given.     It  is  interesting  to  sound  some 
of  the  words  instead  of  pronouncing  them. 
A  m  an  with  white  h  air  is  here. 
Don't  scare  the  birds,  boys! 
How  d  are  you  r  tin  so  fast? 

Lead  the  children  to  give  the  sound  of  a  in  care,  and  then  tell 
them  to  look  in  their  readers  on  page  113  and  learn  how  to  mark 
that  sound.    Have  these  words  sounded  and  marked. 
Page  120.  O  Sailor,  Come  Ashore. 

The  thought  of  the  ocean  has  been  made  clear  in  the  previous 
lesson.  Now  talk  about  what  is  taken  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea, 
and  if  possible  show  pieces  of  coral  and  pretty  shells. 

These  points  are  to  be  emphasized  in  the  reading:  A  sailor, 
coming  ashore  after  a  long  trip,  brings  pieces  of  red  and  white 
coral.     By  what  was  the  coral  made? 

Phonic  drill,     o  as  in  or. 

Write  words  containing  long  and  short  o  and  have  them  sounded 
and  pronounced.  Then  write  words  containing  the  sound  of  o  as 
in  or  and  have  them  sounded.  Have  the  lists  on  page  1 16  given  in 
the  same  way.  The  object  of  the  work  is  to  fix  the  special  sound 
and  to  have  it  distinguished  from  other  sounds  of  0.  The  phono- 
gram or  should  be  drilled  upon  in  many  ways. 
Page  121.  Wild  Geese. 

Call  attention  to  the  illustration,  bringing  out  the  idea  that 
it  is  fall,  and  the  birds  are  "winging  southward."  Talk  about  wild 
geese,  and  tell  where  they  like  best  to  live;  how  they  always  fly  in 
flocks,  and  what  their  call  is. 

Have  the  first  stanza  studied,  then  read  orally,  telling  what  the 
class  is  to  see  and  hear.  (Second  stanza.)  Read  the  lines  which 
tell  where  the  wild  geese  are  winging  and  swinging.  Read  what 
they  are  bringing.  (Third  stanza.)  Read  the  stanza  and  tell  what 
kind  of  cries  are  falling  and  about  the  chorus.  (Fourth  stanza.) 
Read  the  stanza  and  describe  where  the  wild  geese  are  going.  (Fifth 
and  sixth  stanzas.)  Read  the  lines  which  tell  what  you  love  to 
see  and  hear.    Read  the  description  of  the  flock  winging  southward. 

Enunciation  drill.  Have  the  children  bring  out  the  sound  of 
ing  clearly  in  the  following  words: 

winging  ringing  calling  passing 

swinging  bringing  falling  flinging 


44  TEACHERS1   NOTEBOOK 

Page  124.  The  Constant  Tin  Soldier. 

This  lesson  is  the  story  of  one  of  the  twenty-five  tin  soldiers 
that  were  given  to  a  little  boy  on  his  birthday.  They  were 
brothers,  because  they  were  born  of  one  old  tin  spoon  and  all  looked 
exactly  alike,  except  one  that  had  only  one  leg.  This  tin  soldier 
with  one  leg  was  the  only  one  that  did  anything  worth  talking 
about.  Tell  the  children  that  if  they  read  the  lesson  they  will 
discover  what  happened  to  him. 

I 

Describe  the  tin  soldiers  and  the  little  dancer  who  was  so  pretty. 
Why  did  the  Tin  Soldier  think  the  Little  Dancer  would  not  be 

just  the  wife  for  him? 
Read  Part  I  silently,  and  tell  the  facts  discovered. 

II 

Answer  these  questions  about  Part  II  by  reading.  When  were 
the  soldiers  put  in  their  box?  What  did  the  toys  do  then? 
What  did  the  canary  do? 

Who  did  n't  move  from  their  places?    What  did  they  do? 

When  twelve  o'clock  struck,  what  happened? 

What  was  in  the  box?  What  did  the  Goblin  say  to  the  Tin 
Soldier? 

Pictures  to  be  created  by  reading  the  remainder  of  the  story: 

III 

The  fall  of  the  Tin  Soldier,  and  how  he  looked. 
The  Tin  Soldier  going  for  a  sail  in  a  boat  made  of  newspaper. 
The  water  rushing  down  the  gutter,  and  the  Tin  Soldier  standing 
straight  on  his  one  leg,  holding  his  musket. 

IV 

The  boat  in  the  drain  tunnel. 

The  water  rat  asking  for  a  passport.     The  water  rat  swimming 

after  the  boat,  gnashing  his  teeth  and  shouting. 
The  boat  dashing  into  the  canal,  and  the  Tin  Soldier  standing 

as  stiff  as  ever. 
The  boat  filling  with  water.    The  water  going  over  the  Tin 

Soldier's  head. 
The  Tin  Soldier  snapped  up  by  a  big  fish. 


HOLTON-CURRY  THIRD   READER  45 

V 

The  Tin  Soldier  inside  the  fish. 

The  fish  in  the  kitchen,  and  the  Tin  Soldier  rescued  by  the  cook. 

The  Tin  Soldier  back  in  the  parlor,  and  what  he  saw. 

VI 

The  boy  flinging  the  Tin  Soldier  into  the  fire. 

The  Tin  Soldier  in  the  fire,  with  the  color  fading  out  of  his  uni- 
form. 

What  happened  to  the  Little  Dancer  and  the  Tin  Soldier. 

What  the  maid  found  in  the  ashes  next  day. 

Phonic  drill,  th  means  the  hard  sound  of  th.  The  drill,  page 
127,  is  also  a  helpful  enunciation  exercise. 

Phonic  lesson,     a  means  the  sound  of  a  in  ask. 

From  colored  paper  cut  dancers  and  tin  soldiers.  Upon  each 
one  write  a  word  containing  the  sound  of  a  in  ask.  Distribute  the 
cuttings,  and  have  the  words  used  in  sentences.  Give  special  drill 
upon  the  sound  a  has  in  these  words.  Write  a  word  upon  the  board, 
and  mark  a.     Let  each  child  mark  the  a  in  his  word. 

Use  the  lesson  on  page  132  for  a  drill  upon  this  point. 

For  seat  work  let  the  children  cut  their  own  soldiers  and  dancers 
and  write  words  containing  a  upon  them  and  mark  the  sound.     This 
will  review  d,  a,  a,  a,  and  S. 
Page  140.   Little  Boy  Blue. 

This  poem  was  written  by  a  man  who  loved  children  and  wrote 
many  poems  about  them.  His  name  was  Eugene  Field.  The  poem 
is  about  a  dear  little  boy  and  what  he  said  to  his  toys  one  night  before 
he  toddled  off  to  his  trundle  bed. 

Ask  the  class  what  a  trundle  bed  is;  what  "toddled  off"  means. 

Call  attention  to  the  picture,  and  have  the  toys  of  Boy  Blue 
named  and  talked  about. 

Question  for  the  thought  of  each  stanza,  being  careful  to  bring 
out  the  important  points. 

After  the  lesson  has  been  read  let  the  children  tell  with  what 
the  toys  were  covered;  why  they  were  in  that  condition;  what  Boy 
Blue  did  and  said  to  them  when  he  placed  them  there;  what  he 
heard  when  he  was  dreaming  of  his  toys;  what  it  means  to  be  awak- 
ened by  an  "angel  song." 

For  what  were  the  toys  waiting?  As  they  waited  and  waited 
all  those  long  years,  what  were  they  wondering? 


46  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

Be  sure  that  the  children  love  the  beautiful  poem  before  they 
leave  it. 
Page  142.   Somewhere  Town. 

This  little  poem  is  so  simple  in  thought  and  expression  that  it 
should  be  used  for  a  test  lesson.  Give  the  class  an  opportunity  to 
study  it  for  a  few  moments,  then  have  the  first  stanza  read  by  two 
or  three  children.  After  they  have  read  let  each  child  give  what 
he  considered  the  special  point  to  be  brought  out  in  the  reading, 
as:  "I  thought  'Up  in  the  morning  early'  was  the  thought  to 
emphasize,"  or  "I  thought  'Over  the  tiles  and  the  chimney  pots' 
was  the  special  thought  of  the  stanza." 

Follow  the  same  plan  with  the  second  stanza,  then  lead  the 
children  to  see  that  the  way  to  Somewhere  Town  and  the  door  to 
Somewhere  Town  were  the  important  thoughts  to  be  discovered. 

Phonic  lesson.     6  means  o  in  or. 

Distribute  horns  cut  from  paper  with  sounds  written  upon  them. 
Tell  the  class  to  stand  in  line  and  march  around  the  room,  tooting 
their  horns:  a,  6,  u,  d,  a,  a,  or  6,  6,  6,  o. 

When  the  class  is  in  its  place  again  let  them  blow  or-o,  or-o, 
or-o  three  times,  then  refer  them  to  the  lesson  on  page  137  to 
discover  how  to  mark  o  in  or.  Drill  upon  the  sound  by  sounding 
the  words,  and  have  them  indicate  the  marking  by  tracing  with  the 
finger  or  eraser  end  of  a  pencil. 

Let  the  children  pass  to  their  seats,  saying  6,  6,  6,  o. 
Page  143.   Old  Abe,  the  War  Eagle. 

Questioning  for  thought  and  expression.  Give  some  character- 
istic facts  about  eagles,  their  nests,  and  why  they  are  feared  by 
small  animals  and  children. 

Tell  the  children  this  story:  A  large,  strong  pair  of  eagles  with 
white  heads  and  tails  and  brown  bodies,  known  as  bald-headed 
eagles,  once  lived  in  the  top  of  a  tall  tree  in  Wisconsin.  Their 
nest  was  made  of  sticks  and  hay,  and  in  the  nest  was  a  fine  pair  of 
young  birds. 

The  old  birds  were  very  proud  of  them  and  often  carried  them  a 
lamb  or  rabbit  for  their  dinner.  One  day,  when  the  old  birds  were 
away,  Sky  Chief,  a  young  Indian,  stole  one  of  the  eaglets  from  the 
nest  and  sold  him  to  a  farmer  for  a  bushel  of  corn.  Why  do  you 
suppose  he  was  willing  to  take  corn  for  pay? 

The  farmer  kept  the  eagle  for  a  long  time  and  then  gave  him  to 
some  soldier  boys.    They  named  him  "Old  Abe."    After  whom  do 


HOLTON-CURRY  THIRD  READER  47 

you  suppose  he  was  named?     In  what  war  did  Abraham  Lincoln 
have  a  part?     The  soldier  boys  took  "Old  Abe"  to  war  with  them, 
and  the  lesson  to-day  tells  about  his  experiences  there.     How  many 
of  you  want  to  read  about  "Old  Abe"  going  to  war? 
Special  points  to  be  made  clear: 

i.  What  kind  of  a  soldier  bird  was  "Old  Abe"?  What  did  he 
love?  When  was  he  happiest?  What  did  he  do  when  the 
firing  began? 

2.  What  was  being  fought?    Tell  about  the  smoke,  guns,  and 

cannons.  When  "Old  Abe"  was  sitting  on  his  perch, 
what  happened?  What  did  he  do  when  the  cord  was  cut? 
All  say  what  he  seemed  to  say  to  the  soldier  boys. 

3.  What  did  "  Old  Abe  "  do  after  the  battle  was  over?     By  whom 

was  his  perch  carried,  and  what  did  he  do  for  the  eagle? 
Close  your  eyes  and  see  the  eagle  soaring  among  the  clouds 
and  hear  the  soldiers  cheering  him. 

4.  When  fresh  meat  was  scarce  how  did  "Old  Abe"  secure  it? 

Give  another  name  for  talons.     Where   was  he  always 
certain  to  alight?    What  made  him  able  to  do  this?     Why 
was  he  not  hurt  by  the  bullets  that  struck  him?    What 
became  of  him  after  the  war  was  over? 
Tell  the  children  that  the  author  of  this  story  saw  the  bald- 
headed  "Old  Abe"  at  the  centennial,  and  that  all  of  this  story  about 
him  is  true. 

Have  "The  Eagle,"  on  page  141,  and  "The  Flag  Goes  By,"  on 
page  142,  memorized  and  repeated  after  the  story  about  "Old  Abe" 
has  been  read.     Use  the  phonic  drill  on  page  141  in  the  book. 

Page  148.  November. 

This  beautiful  autumn  poem  is  full  of  hope  and  promise,  and 
should  take  from  the  signs  of  fall  and  winter  all  thought  of  sadness. 
"The  roots  of  the  bright  red  roses  will  keep  alive  in  the  snow." 
The  birds  will  return,  and  the  boughs  get  new  leaves  when  the 
winter  is  over. 

Alice  Cary  wrote  this  poem.  She  lived  on  a  farm  in  Ohio  when 
a  child,  and  loved  every  leaf,  flower,  and  bird  she  saw.  Many  of 
her  poems  show  her  fondness  for  the  out  of  doors. 

Question  for  the  thought  of  each  stanza  before  it  is  read. 

Expression  exercises  by  word  painting: 
rough  bright  red  roses  shine 

wild  loveliest  wayside  blossom  whirling 


48  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

Lengthening  the  vowel  and  word  painting: 

fading  ceased  colder 

falling  darker  dry 

mwst  cold  dear 

Pictures  to  be  imagined  and  contrasted: 

1 .  An  autumn  scene. 

2.  A  beautiful  spring  day. 

Phonic  lesson.  Follow  the  directions  given  for  drill  on  page  144. 
Page  150.  The  Husband  Who  Was  to  Mind  the  House. 

This  amusing  story  is  told  about  a  surly,  scolding  man  and  his 
"goody,"  who  played  a  very  clever  trick  upon  her  cross  husband. 
Let  the  children  discover  the  trick  by  reading  the  lesson.  (The 
husband's  part  should  be  read  in  a  cross  tone,  and  his  "goody's" 
in  a  loving,  conciliatory  way.) 

Questions  for  expression.  What  time  of  year  are  you  to  think 
about?  How  do  you  know  it  was  summer?  Did  the  husband 
and  his  "goody"  live  in  the  country  or  in  the  city?  How  do  you 
know?     In  what  kind  of  a  house  did  they  live? 

Describe  the  husband  and  his  "goody"  in  your  own  language. 
What  did  his  "goody"  suggest  that  they  do?  Why  do  you  suppose 
the  man  consented  to  mind  the  house?  What  happened  to  the  ale? 
What  did  the  pig  do  to  the  churn?  When  the  husband  saw  what 
the  pig  had  done,  how  did  he  feel?  Close  your  eyes,  and  see  him 
driving  the  pig  out  of  doors. 

Why  did  he  decide  to  put  the  cow  on  the  top  of  the  house  instead 
of  putting  her  in  the  meadow?  How  did  he  think  he  could  manage 
to  get  the  cow  up  there?  Describe  the  scene  at  the  well.  Close 
your  eyes,  and  see  the  man  leaning  down,  with  a  churn  on  his  back 
and  the  cream  running  all  over  him  into  the  well.  Was  this  an 
unusual  thing  for  him  to  do?  What  preparations  did  he  make  for 
dinner?  What  is  porridge?  Did  you  ever  eat  any?  What  was 
the  next  brilliant  thing  he  did?  Why  did  he  tie  the  rope  around 
his  thigh?  Close  your  eyes,  and  see  the  rope  tied  around  the  cow's 
neck,  put  down  the  chimney,  and  tied  around  the  husband's  thigh. 
Is  n't  it  a  funny,  funny  picture?  Now  see  what  happened  to  the 
cow  and  the  man.  Describe  what  you  saw.  What  do  you  think 
this  means:  "The  goody  had  waited  seven  lengths  and  seven 
breadths  for  her  husband  to  come."  What  did  she  do  when  she 
saw  the  cow  hanging  "between  heaven  and  earth"?  Then  what 
happened? 


HOLTON-CURRY   THIRD   READER  49 

What  do  you  think  is  the  most  amusing  incident  in  this  story? 
Mention  all  the  things  you  consider  very  funny.  Do  you  think 
the  husband  wanted  to  mind  the  house  after  that?  Why  not? 
What  do  you  suppose  his  "goody"  did?  What  would  you  have 
done  under  the  circumstances? 

Tell  the  story  in  your  own  words. 

Phonic  lesson.     A  means  the  sound  of  u  in  urn. 

Review  the  marks  and  sounds  already  taught  by  giving  words 
from  the  lesson  and  having  them  sounded  and  marked,  as:  rope, 
waited,  butter,  neck,  Oatmeal,  griint.  Have  the  words  in  the  lesson 
OB  i  age  150  sounded,  and  drill  upon  the  way  to  mark  the  different 
sounds  of  u. 
Page  156.   The  Table  and  the  Chair. 

Questions  for  expression.  A  conversation  between  a  Table  and 
a  Chair  would  lead  one  to  expect  something  quite  out  of  the  ordinary. 
They  would  not  be  expected  to  have  the  same  experiences  that  people 
would  have.  Which  one  is  talking  in  the  first  stanza?  Read  it, 
and  tell  from  what  the  Table  suffered,  and  what  suggestion  it  made 
to  the  Chair.  Henry  may  talk  for  the  Chair,  and  be  sure  to  show 
how  foolishly  you  think  the  Table  talked,  and  why.  Mary  may  read 
what  the  Table  replied.     Class  read  in  concert  what  they  both  did. 

Sound  and  pronounce  these  words: 

table  chilblains  castle 

chair  aware  valley 

bumpy  supper  beans 

Act  out  the  meaning  of  these  words: 
walk  sigh  round  and  round 

talk  bumpy  sound  everybody  cried 

hastened  toddled  wandered 

dined  danced  whispered 

Page  159.   The  Four  Clever  Brothers.     (Parti.) 

Questions  for  expression.  This  story  was  written  by  the  Brothers 
Grimm.  They  edited  the  well-known  collection  of  German  fairy 
stories  and  popular  tales  which  they  brought  together  from  all 
parts  of  the  country,  getting  many  of  them  from  the  peasants. 

The  word  clever  as  used  here  means  smart  and  skillful.  Hence 
the  four  young  men  the  story  tells  about  were  unusual,  and  likely 
to  succeed  in  whatever  they  undertook.  Their  father  was  a  poor 
man,  so  he  sent  his  four  sons  out  into  the  world  to  "try  their  luck." 
What  do  you  think  that  means? 


50  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

Imagine  how  the  four  brothers  looked  as  they  started  out 
into  the  world,  with  walking  sticks  in  their  hands  and  bundles 
on  their  shoulders.  How  much  money  do  you  suppose  they  had 
in  their  pockets?  What  were  they  doing  at  the  gate?  Read  the 
first  paragraph. 

Study  the  second  and  third  paragraphs,  and  be  ready  to  tell 
about  the  four  crossways,  when  the  brothers  should  come  back 
there,  and  what  the  man  said  he  would  teach  the  eldest  brother. 

Imagine  how  the  brothers  looked  when  each  started  in  a  different 
direction,  and  how  the  man  looked  who  wanted  to  teach  the  eldest 
to  be  a  cunning  thief. 

What  objection  did  the  eldest  brother  make  to  learning  that  trade? 
How  did  the  man  meet  it?  What  did  the  young  man  agree  to  do? 
How  well  did  he  succeed?     Read  the  paragraphs. 

Study  and  find  out  what  happened  to  the  other  brothers.  What 
trade  did  the  second  brother  learn?  What  was  given  him  because 
he  became  so  skillful?  Read  what  he  could  see  with  it.  Read  the 
paragraph  which  tells  about  the  third  brother,  and  the  trade  he 
learned. 

Why  did  n't  the  youngest  brother  want  to  be  a  tailor?  Read 
the  description  of  the  kind  of  tailoring  the  man  wanted  to  teach 
him.  What  did  he  say  he  could  sew?  Which  of  the  trades  would 
you  rather  have  learned?     Why? 

Assign  the  parts,  and  have  the  lesson  read. 

Phonic  lesson,    f  means  the  sound  of  o  in  off. 

This  is  rather  a  difficult  sound  and  will  require  considerable 
drill.  Let  the  children  run  around  the  room  saying  o'  as  they  pass 
each  corner.  Let  them  blow  out  candles  by  saying  ol  Let  them 
give  the  sound  every  time  you  clap  your  hands.  After  the  drill 
write  off  on  the  board  and  mark  the  o  properly.  Let  the  children 
go  to  the  board  and  write  o  several  times,  and  mark  it. 

Phonic  lesson.  Have  each  child  pronounce  the  words  in  the 
lesson  on  page  157,  giving  the  special  sound  of  Rafter  each  one. 

Page  163.   The  Four  Clever  Brothers.     (Part  II.) 

Have  Part  II  studied  as  seat  work,  writing  these  questions 
upon  the  board  and  having  the  answers  discovered. 

After  four  years,  what  did  the  brothers  do?  What  does  "wel- 
comed each  other"  mean?  What  did  their  father  say  to  them? 
What  did  he  say  to  the  star-gazer?  What  answer  did  he  make? 
Was  it  correct?    How  did  the  father  test  the  skill  of  the  cunning 


HOLTON-CURRY  THIRD   READER  51 

thief?  Tell  how  the  huntsman  was  tested.  What  wonderful  thing 
was  the  young  tailor  asked  to  do?  Could  you  have  done  it?  De- 
scribe what  happened  to  the  eggs  after  being  put  together.  What 
did  the  old  man  say  to  his  sons?  What  happened  not  long  after? 
What  did  the  king  promise?  What  did  the  four  brothers  say? 
Which  one  found  out  where  the  princess  was  and  what  was  guarding 
her?  How  did  they  get  to  the  place  where  she  was,  and  how  did 
they  get  her  away  from  the  dragon?  Describe  the  journey  to  the 
ship.  What  did  each  of  the  brothers  do  to  help  get  the  princess 
home?  What  arose  between  the  brothers?  About  what  did  they 
quarrel?  How  did  the  king  settle  it?  What  did  the  brothers  do 
afterward? 

Phonic  review.    Follow  the  directions  given  for  the  work  on 
page  163. 
Page  171.   High  and  Low. 

This  little  poem,  written  by  John  B.  Tabb,  contains  a  subtle 
point  in  ethics.     See  if  the  children  will  discover  it  for  themselves. 

Questions  for  expression.  Do  people  in  high  positions  ever  feel 
as  the  Boot  and  the  Shoe  felt  about  associating  with  persons  of 
lower  rank?  Are  they  sometimes  surpassed  in  a  way  similar  to  that 
in  the  poem?  What  is  a  cobbler?  Who  lived  in  the  cobbler's  row? 
Why  would  the  Boot  and  the  Shoe  have  nothing  to  do  with  the 
Slipper?  Who  called  on  the  Cobbler?  What  happened  to  the 
Slipper? 
Page  172.  Robin  Redbreast. 

Pictures  to  be  imagined  through  reading  the  poem: 

1.  Robin  Redbreast  in  early  autumn. 

2.  Robin  Redbreast  in  late  autumn. 

3.  Robin  Redbreast  in  winter. 
Sound  and  pronounce  these  words: 

yellow  swallow  hosts  plumed 

red  thrush  ghosts  russet 

orange  robin  welaway  cricket 

Give  the  meaning  of  the  following  words. 

scanty  breastknot  plumed  moan 

ruddy  silent  pinching  times  cheer 

Page  174.  Two  Brass  Kettles. 

Review  very  briefly  a  few  facts  about  the  Pilgrims,  their  habits 
and  customs.  Talk  about  the  Indians,  and  tell  that  they  were 
sometimes  very  cruel  and  that  the  white  people  often  feared  them 


52  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

and  built  "fort-houses"  for  protection.  Describe  the  old  brick 
house  mentioned  in  the  lesson,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Minot,  their  two 
babies,  and  the  maid  who  lived  with  them. 

The  lesson  tells  a  very  interesting  story  about  what  happened 
at  the  Minot  house  one  day,  and  it  is  a  true  story. 

Divide  the  lesson  into  parts  and  have  them  studied  and  read  as 
wholes. 

1.  The  description  of  the  old  brick  house. 

2.  Experience  and  the  two  children  in  the  big  kitchen. 

3.  Experience  discovering  the  Indian,  and  what  she  did. 

4.  The  Indian  and  the  brass  kettles. 

5.  What  Experience  did  to  the  Indian,  and  the  return  of  Mr. 

and  Mrs.  Minot. 

Dramatize  the  lesson,  using  one  corner  of  the  schoolroom  for  the 
"fort-house"  and  two  overturned  chairs  for  the  brass  kettles. 

Assign  the  parts:  Indian,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Minot,  Experience, 
two  children. 

Let  the  children  themselves  suggest  how  the  acting  shall  be  done. 
This  will  test  their  appreciation  of  the  story  and  ability  to  express 
thought  through  action. 

Phonic  lesson,     o  sometimes  says  u. 

After  this  fact  has  been  discovered  by  the  children  through 
sounding  the  words  on  page  172,  have  many  illustrations  given  and 
other  lists  of  words  made  from  the  Reader. 

Page  179.   Obedience. 

Phoebe  Cary  wrote  this  little  poem,  and  it  contains  an  excellent 
lesson  for  every  one.  She  and  her  sister  Alice  often  put  things 
we  should  do  into  poems,  and  if  we  study  them  carefully  we  can 
learn  many  useful  lessons. 

Read  the  poem  silently  and  tell  in  your  own  words  what  you 
think  it  means.  Give  an  illustration  of  prompt  obedience,  and  one 
of  doing  things  by  halves.  Name  another  of  Phoebe  Cary's  poems 
in  which  the  necessity  for  obedience  is  shown.  ("They  Didn't 
Think.") 
Page  180.  The  Tree. 

Describe  trees  of  different  kinds  and  lead  the  children  to  admire 
and  love  them.  Tell  them  how  long  it  takes  for  beautiful  trees  to 
grow,  and  how  careful  we  should  be  not  to  injure  them. 

Questions  for  expression.  What  are  leaf  buds?  When  do  they 
/orm?    If  the  frost  destroyed  them,  how  many  blossoms  would  the 


HOLTON-CURRY  THIRD   READER  53 

tree  have?  How  much  fruit  would  there  be?  Have  you  ever 
known  the  frost  to  destroy  the  blossoms  so  that  trees  had  no  fruit? 
What  did  the  wind  ask  the  tree?  What  did  the  tree  reply?  To 
whom  did  the  tree  give  his  berries?  Read  the  conversation  between 
the  tree  and  the  frost.  Read  the  second  stanza.  Who  talks  in  it? 
Read  what  the  girl  said  to  the  tree,  and  the  reply. 

Have  the  children  show  by  acting  what  these  words  mean: 
quivering  tremble  sweeping 

laden  bursting  prayed 

gather 

Page  181.    Three  Monkeys  of  Japan. 

Talk  about  Japan  and  tell  some  interesting  facts  concerning 
the  country  and  its  people. 

Show  an  image  of  this  group  of  monkeys  (it  is  easily  secured), 
and  let  the  children  discover  which  is  the  blind  monkey,  which  the 
deaf  monkey,  and  which  the  dumb  monkey.  Tell  the  facts  about 
the  carving  over  the  door  of  the  stable,  and  after  the  motto  has  been 
read  have  it  memorized.  It  is  well  worth  remembering,  and  if 
used  when  occasions  are  presented  many  practical  and  valuable 
lessons  will  be  learned  from  it. 

Give  the  meaning  of  these  words  and  phrases: 
highly  prized  quaint 

houses  the  white  pony  motto 

though  it  appear  dumb 

pure  and  true  evil 

Phonic  lesson,     u  sometimes  says  ob. 

Give  this  drill,  which  is  a  most  excellent  enunciation  lesson, 
lip  exercise,  and  phonic  drill. 

When  ob  is  given  the  lips  should  be  pro- 
jected   and   rounded;    when   a   is   given    the 
mouth  should  be  opened  wide,  and  when  e  is 
given  some  people  stretch  the  lips. 

Vary  the  order  of  giving  the  sounds,  and  be  sure  the  children 
inhale  often. 

Have  each  pupil  sound,  pronounce,  and  mark  the  words  in  the 
list  on  page  174. 

From  this  time  on  devices  disappear  from  the  phonic  work  and 
dignity  and  precision  are  emphasized. 

The  phonic  lessons  in  the  Reader  should  be  given  in  a  more 
formal  way,  and  the  knowledge  gained  from  previous  work  used. 


54  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

The  words  should  be  sounded,  pronounced,  and  used  in  sentences. 
It  is  also  wise  to  select  words  from  the  lesson  for  the  day  and  to 
have  them  sound&d  and  marked,  thus  keeping  up  a  constant  review 
and  applying  more  and  more  the  points  taught. 

Page  182.  The  Tongue-Cut  Sparrow. 

Questions  for  expression.  This  Japanese  fairy  story  has  been  told 
over  and  over  to  the  wee  children  of  Japan,  and  perhaps  they  believe 
that  every  word  of  it  is  true,  perhaps  they  do.  Do  you  believe 
that  fairy  stories  are  true? 

Japan  is  far,  far  away  across  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  many  people 
go  there  to  see  the  beautiful  islands,  the  mountains,  trees,  flowers, 
and  quaint  little  houses.  (Describe  a  Japanese  house  and  its 
furniture.  Tell  about  the  dress,  food,  and  some  of  the  customs  of 
the  Japanese  people.) 
Outline  of  the  story: 

i.  A  Japanese  house  and  its  inmates.  The  woman  feeding  and 
warming  the  poor  little  Sparrow.  The  Sparrow  perched 
on  the  roof  singing.  Why  the  old  man  and  woman  liked 
to  have  the  Sparrow  sing  so  early  in  the  morning. 

2.  The  cross  old  woman  who  did  not  like  to  be  wakened  so 

early.  What  she  did  to  the  Sparrow,  and  where  he  went. 
Why  he  went  to  his  home. 

3.  How  the  kind  old  people  felt  when  they  knew  what  had  hap- 

pened to  their  pet.  What  they  did,  and  what  they  asked 
of  each  bird  they  met. 

4.  The  old  man  and  woman  at  the  bridge,  undecided  which  way 

to  go.     Directions  given  by  a  Bat  and  a  Field  Mouse. 

5.  Arrival  at  the  home  of  the  Sparrow.     How  the  Sparrow 

family  showed  their  respect.  What  they  were  given  to 
eat.     The  "sparrow  dance,"  or  how  they  were  entertained. 

6.  Preparation  to  leave.     The  gift  of  the  Sparrow.     Why  the 

small  basket  was  chosen.  Discovering  the  contents  of  the 
basket. 

7.  The  cross  old  woman  watching  them  open  the  basket.     What 

she  planned  to  do.  What  she  said  to  the  kind  old  woman. 
Did  the  kind  old  woman  think  the  cross  old  woman  was 
sincere?     Do  you  think  she  was? 

8.  The  arrival  of  the  cross  old  woman  at  the  home  of  the  Spar- 

row. The  feast.  The  two  baskets;  the  one  chosen,  and 
why.     Difficulties  encountered  in  getting  it  home. 


IIOLTON-CURRY  THIRD   READER  55 

9.  Arrival  home,  and  preparation  for  opening  the  basket.  Open- 
ing the  basket.  Its  contents,  and  what  they  did.  What 
happened  to  the  cross  old  woman. 

The  story  should  be  studied  and  read  in  the  sections  indicated 
by  the  outline,  then  read  as  a  whole. 

Questions  to  be  answered  after  the  story  has  been  read.  What 
would  lead  you  to  think  that  the  Sparrow  appreciated  the  kindness 
of  the  old  man  and  woman?  What  feeling  caused  them  to  go  to 
the  home  of  the  Sparrow?  How  did  the  Sparrow  show  that  he 
understood  why  they  came?  Had  the  cross  old  woman  a  right  to 
expeet  the  same  treatment  as  the  kind  man  and  his  wife?  What 
prompted  the  visit  of  the  cross  old  woman?  Do  greed,  selfishness, 
and  envy  ever  make  people  happy?     Why  not? 

Phonic  lesson.     Make  use  of   the  drill  given  in   the  book  on 
page  182  without  supplementary  work. 
Page  190.   Little  Blue  Pigeon. 

This  poem,  written  by  Eugene  Field,  is  a  Japanese  lullaby.  A 
lullaby  is  a  song  to  quiet  babies.  It  should  be  read  in  a  gentle, 
soothing,  musical  tone. 

Describe  the  velvet  eyes,  glossy  blue  feathers,  and  cooing  noise 
of  a  pigeon.     Show  the  picture  of  a  pigeon. 

Questions  for  thought  and  expression.  When  was  the  lullaby 
sung?  How  do  you  know  it  was  night?  Who  was  singing  the 
lullaby?  What  docs  she  tell  the  little  one  to  do  in  the  first  stanza? 
Imagine  you  arc  the  mother  bird,  singing  your  little  one  to  sleep. 
Read  the  stanza  as  if  you  were  talking  to  the  little  blue  pigeon. 
What  did  the  mother  bird  see?  What  was  the  star  doing?  Read 
the  second  stanza,  and  make  the  words  tinkling  and  calling  express 
their  meaning  through  word  painting.  What  comes  in  through  the 
window?    What  kind  of  a  moonbeam  was  it? 

Read  the  third  stanza,  and  be  sure  to  ask  in  a  soft,  soothing 
voice,  what  the  moonbeam  did. 

Read  the  fourth  stanza,  and  describe  the  sob  of  the  sea. 

Read  the  last  stanza  just  as  you  think  the  mother  bird  sang  it. 

Have  the  children  express  the  meaning  of  these  words  by  acting: 
fold  swinging  tinkling  creeping 

sleep  singing  calling  dreaming 

sob  groaning  moaning  yonder 

Phrases  for  expression  drill: 

away  cut  yonder  soft  dew  falling 

a  tinkling  song  misty  wings 


56  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

calling  and  tinkling  sleep,  little  pigeon 

groaning  in  anguish  all  silently  creeping 

Phonic  lesson.    The  phonic  drill  on  page  183  should  be  gone 

through  slowly  at  first  by  each  pupil.     See  that  the  correct  sounds 

are  given  and  that  the  enunciation  is  perfect. 

Page  192.  A  Dog  of  Flanders. 

At  the  time  this  story  was  written,  parts  of  Belgium,  Holland, 
and  France  formed  the  country  of  Flanders. 

The  coast  of  Belgium  is  low.  Canals  cross  the  country  and  dikes 
keep  out  the  sea.  Windmills  are  used  there  to  pump  water  from 
the  lowlands  so  that  they  may  be  used  for  farming. 

The  principal  characters  in  this  story  are  a  dear  old  grandfather 
named  Jehan  Daas,  a  gentle,  golden-haired  boy  named  Nello,  and 
Patrasche,  a  homely  yellow  dog  of  Flanders.  Jehan  Daas  was 
poor,  old,  and  almost  helpless.  He  and  Nello,  his  grandson,  lived 
in  a  mud  hut  outside  the  city.  The  details  of  the  story  may  be 
learned  from  reading  the  lesson. 

Questions  for  thought  (first  three  paragraphs).  Where  did  Nello 
and  his  old  grandfather  live?  Describe  their  home.  How  did  the 
old  grandfather  treat  Nello?  What  ran  through  the  middle  of  the 
village?     What  did  Nello  do  day  after  day? 

Make  very  clear  the  mind  picture  of  the  dear  old  grandfather 
and  Nello  living  happily  in  the  mud  house,  with  pumpkins  and 
beans  growing  around.  Also,  the  picture  of  the  village,  with  its 
queer  little  red-roofed  houses  with  white  walls  and  green  blinds, 
and  the  canal  shaded  by  tall  poplars  and  bending  alders  running 
through  it. 

A  description  of  Patrasche,  his  cruel  master,  his  work,  and  what 
happened  one  day  when  he  was  toiling  along  the  dusty  road  are 
given  in  the  next  five  paragraphs.  Have  them  studied  by  referring 
to  this  simple  outline: 

1.  A  description  of  the  dog  of  Flanders. 

2.  What  did  his  cruel  master  make  him  do? 

3.  The  treatment  he  received  at  night. 

4.  What  happened  one  day? 

5.  What  did  the  master  think  and  do? 

6.  How  did  the  cruel  master  reason? 

Questions  for  thought  and  expression  (remainder  of  story).  Read 
the  description  of  Patrasche  and  what  his  cruel  mastsr  made  him 
do;  read  the  paragraph  that  describes  how  he  was  treated  at  night. 


HOLTON-CURRY   THIRD  READER  57 

Tell,  by  reading  the  paragraph,  what  happened  one  day  as  Patrasche 
was  toiling  along  in  the  sun.  Read  what  the  cruel  master  thought 
and  did. 

Study  the  remainder  of  Part  I.  Why  was  it  a  merrymaking 
day?  Describe  the  people  who  were  going  to  the  fair.  How  many 
saw  Patrasche?  How  many  stopped  to  help  him?  Close  your 
eyes  and  see  this  picture,  then  re-read  the  sentences  that  tell  about 
it.  Who  came  along  among  the  group  of  pleasure  seekers?  Read 
the  paragraph  that  describes  them. 

What  did  they  see?  What  was  in  their  eyes  as  they  knelt 
beside  the  dog?  Read  the  paragraph,  and  picture  the  meeting  of 
dear  little  Nello  and  big,  yellow  Patrasche. 

Tell,  by  reading  the  paragraphs,  what  came  to  pass  that  night. 
Close  your  eyes,  and  see  Jehan  Daas  and  Nello  drawing  Patrasche 
to  their  little  mud  hut.  See  the  bed  they  made  for  him,  and  the 
poor  old  dog  lying  there  listening  to  the  "soft  prattle"  of  Nello. 

What  did  they  grow  to  do  as  the  days  passed?  Imagine  the 
big,  yellow  dog  as  he  arose  and  gave  the  long,  low  bark,  and  Nello 
hanging  a  chain  of  daisies  around  his  neck.  What  was  in  the  deep 
brown  eyes  of  Patrasche?  What  was  in  his  heart?  Why  did  he 
feel  their  love? 

Have  the  lesson  read  several  times,  making  the  voice  express 
great  tenderness  and  sympathy  for  the  homely,  yellow  dog,  and 
admiration  for  gentle,  golden-haired  Nello  and  his  dear  old  grand- 
father. Make  them  alive  to  the  children,  and  let  them  teach  lessons 
of  tenderness,  kindness  to  animals,  and  loving  consideration  for  all. 

In  Part  II  follow  the  plan  suggested  for  Part  I,  studying  and 
reading  the  lesson  in  divisions  indicated  by  the  thought. 

Thought  divisions  and  mind  pictures: 

i.  The  poverty  of  Jehan,  and  how  he  earned  their  simple  food. 

2.  Patrasche  lying  in  the  corner,  watching  and  thinking. 

3.  How  Patrasche  showed  his  gratitude  by  making  them  let  him 

draw  the  little  old  cart  loaded  with  cans  of  milk. 

4.  Nello  and  Patrasche  taking  the  milk  in  the  old  green  cart  and 

bringing   the   money   home.     Why  Jehan   Daas  had   no 
need  to  go  again,  and  what  he  could  do  at  home. 

5.  Nello  and  Patrasche  sitting  at  the  old  grandfather's  knee, 

listening  to  stories. 
Numberless  opportunities  to  teach  lessons  of  thoughtfulness, 
tenderness,  and  consideration  are  in  the  story,  and  the  wise  teacher 


5 8  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

will  use  them  and  lead  her  children  to  admire  and  express  those 
qualities. 

Phonic  lessons.     Have  the  lessons  on  pages  188  and  193  given 
from  the  book.     From  the  story  select  other  words  containing  the 
same  sounds  and  have  them  made  into  lists. 
Page  202.  The  Sower. 

Show  the  class  a  copy  of  Millet's  picture,  "The  Sower,"  and  lead 
the  children  to  tell  the  season  for  the  sower  to  work,  upon  what  kind 
of  ground  he  likes  to  sow  his  seed,  and  what  the  seed  needs  to  make 
it  grow. 

Thought  questions.  What  does  the  Sower  know?  Why  are  the 
Sun  and  Rain  called  angels?  With  whom  is  the  Child  to  sing? 
What  are  they  to  sing? 

Phonic  lesson.  The  sounds  of  e  have  already  been  thoroughly 
taught,  so  this  review  should  be  used  without  special  development. 
Page  203.  Sir  Cleges  and  the  Cherries. 

This  unusual  story  speaks  very  plainly  of  justice  and  right  deal- 
ing. It  shows  that  we  should  "do  unto  others  as  we  would  that 
they  should  do  unto  us,"  and  how  wrong  done  another  reacts  upon 
ourselves. 

Thought  divisions  and  mind  pictures: 


1.  Sir  Cleges  and  his  wife. 

2.  The  Christmas  feast. 

3.  The  poverty  of  Sir  Cleges. 

4.  The  king's  Christmas  feast,  and  how  Sir  Cleges  feels  about  it. 

He  and  his  wife  make  merry  together. 

5.  Sir  Cleges  kneels  under  a  cherry  tree,  and  what  he  discovers. 

Sir  Cleges  tastes  the  fruit  and  cuts  off  the  bough. 

6.  Sir  Cleges  takes  the  basket  of  ripe  cherries  to  the  king;  at 

the  gate  of  the  castle. 

7.  The  porter  bars  the  way;  lifts  the  lid  off  the  basket.     What 

the  porter  makes  Sir  Cleges  promise. 

8.  What  the  usher  demands. 

II 

1.  The  treatment  and  demand  of  the  king's  steward. 

2.  Sir  Cleges  before  the  king. 

3.  The  King's  acceptance  and  appreciation  of  the  gift,  and  how 

it  is  shown. 


I10LT0N-CURRY   THIRD   READER  59 

4.  What  Sir  Cleges  chooses.     How  the  king  feels  about  allowing 

him  the  twelve  strokes. 

5.  Sir  Cleges  delivers  one-third  of  his  gift  to  each  the  steward, 

the  usher,  and  the  porter. 

6.  Sir  Cleges  kneels  before  the  king  and  tells  him  why  he  has 

paid  the  twelve  strokes  to  the  three  servants. 

7.  The  lords  make  merry,  and  the  king  almost  laughs. 

8.  The  king  discovers  that  the  man  is  Sir  Cleges,  and  what  he 

gives  him. 

9.  The  meeting  of  Sir  Cleges  and  his  wife. 

Make  clear  the  thought  underlying  each  division  of  the  story 
before  the  oral  reading  is  attempted.  Select  expressions  from  the 
story  and  place  them  upon  the  board,  and  drill  upon  them  in  order 
that  the  reading  may  be  conversational  and  full  of  expression. 

Questions  to  test  thought.  What  prompted  the  three  servants  to 
ask  for  one- third  of  Sir  Cleges'  reward?  How  do  you  think  Sir 
Cleges  felt  over  such  a  demand  being  made  of  him?  How  did  he 
show  that  he  considered  it  unjust?  Do  you  consider  he  did  wrong 
in  asking  for  the  twelve  strokes  instead  of  money?  Why  was  it 
best  for  the  servants  to  learn  that  hard  lesson?  Was  it  right  for 
Sir  Cleges  and  his  wife  to  live  in  a  castle  and  be  happy?  Give  your 
reason  for  thinking  so. 

Phonic  lesson,     ou  sometimes  says  do. 

Review  sounds  and  give  words  containing  short  00.  Have  the 
words  sounded  and  used  in  sentences.  Call  attention  to  the  words 
at  the  bottom  of  page  199,  and  have  the  fact  that  ou  says  do  in  these 
words  discovered  and  stated.  Drill  on  the  new  point  by  applying 
it  to  the  other  words. 

Phonic  lesson,    i  sometimes  says  il. 

In  the  work  on  page  203  follow  the  plan  given  for  the  previous 
lesson. 
Page  213.   Blunder. 

I 

"This  is  another  fairy  story,  and  much  more  wonderful  than 
any  of  the  others  in  this  Reader,  or  at  least  I  think  so,  and  I  shall 
know  what  you  all  think  by  and  by.  It  contains  a  very  fine  lesson 
for  everybody,  young  and  old,  big  and  little,  girls  and  boys,  women 
and  men.     I  hope  you  can  discover  if  for  yourselves." 

Select  the  most  difficult  words  used  in  each  part  of  the  story, 
and  drill  upon  them  before  the  reading  is  attempted.     Long  words 


60  TEACHERS'   NOTEBOOK 

are  often  easier  for  the  child  than  the  short,  and  more  easily  remem- 
bered, so  no  one  need  fear  to  present  the  words  used  in  this  story. 

Questions  to  test  thought.  Blunder,  a  little  boy,  wanted  to  find 
the  Wishing  Gate  and  had  many  experiences  before  reaching  it. 
You  will  be  interested  in  finding  out  all  the  things  that  happened 
to  him.  Read  the  first  three  paragraphs  and  tell  where  Blunder 
was  going,  why  he  was  going,  and  what  a  wishing  gate  is.  Read 
the  paragraph  that  tells  what  Blunder's  fairy  godmother  charged 
him  over  and  over.  What  is  a  fairy  godmother?  All  say  together 
what  she  did.  What  is  a  philosopher?  Read  what  the  great  phi- 
losopher did.  Close  your  eyes  and  imagine  the  owl  sitting  up  in  a 
tree  fast  asleep,  and  Blunder  looking  at  him.  Read  the  conversation 
between  Mr.  Owl  and  Blunder.  Why  could  n't  Blunder  follow  his 
nose?  All  try  to  follow  yours.  Who  came  scurrying  down  the  path 
just  then?  Read  what  Blunder  said  to  Mrs.  Chipmunk.  Read 
Mrs.  Chipmunk's  reply.  Listen  and  see  if  you  can  hear  a  noise 
like  wabble!  wabble!  What  is  a  water  sprite?  Read  what  Blunder 
did  and  said.  Have  Part  I  read  as  a  whole  and  the  story  told  before 
Part  II  is  attempted. 

II 

Expression  drill: 

I  don't  know  where  the  pine  is, —  I  am  sure  I  can  never  find  him. 
(discouraged  tone) 

Go  away!     I  won't  let  another  one  in  to-day.  (determined  tone 
and  rapidly) 

I  will  come  in.  (determination) 

How  can  I  find  him?  (impatiently) 

I  don't  know  where  it  is,  I  can't  find  it.  (complainingly) 

Certainly,  with  pleasure,  (happily) 

But  I  can't  come  up  there,  (in  a  whimpering  tone) 

I  can't  find  it,  and  I  '11  go  straight  home,  (crying) 

Points  to  be  imagined: 

1.  Blunder  talking  with  the  frog. 

2.  The  morning-glory  elf  and  the  bee  quarreling. 

3.  Blunder  passing  the  Dream-man  without  seeing  him. 

4.  Blunder  stumbling  on  Jack-o'  Lantern. 

5.  Blunder  falling  through  the  wood  goblin's  chimney. 

Ill 
Words  to  be  sounded,  pronounced,  and  used  in  sentences  or 
Synonyms  given: 


HOLTON-CURRY   THIRD   READER 


61 


stumped 

miserable 

sprite 

tremendous 

invisible 

fortunately 

frantically 

starvation 

breathe 

Have  the  children  act  out  the  meaning 

of 

these  words  and 

•ases: 

fright 

clash 

made  a  dash 

asleep 

stumped 

clumped 

clatter 

bursts 

noise 

prancing 

tumbled 

disappointed 

grumbling 

crammed 

chuckling 

poking  himself 

laughing 

disgust 

pulling  out  her  needles 

rolling  up  her  ball 

slapping  his  knees 

sobbed 

Points  to  be  emphasized  in  reading: 

At  what  the  goblin  was  frightened. 

How  he  went  to  the  kitchen. 

What  the  cook  told  Blunder  to  do. 

What  Blunder  did  and  said. 

The  next  thing  the  cook  suggested. 

Blunder  trying  to  find  the  closet. 

What  the  cook  said  when  she  heard  the  clump!  clump!  on  the  stairs. 

Where  the  invisible  cloak  was  hanging,  and  how  Blunder  hap- 
pened to  be  covered  by  it. 

The  goblin  asking  gruffly  about  the  noise. 

The  cook's  reply. 

What  took  Blunder  up  the  chimney. 

Blunder  sitting  on  the  old  stile. 

How  Blunder  reached  home. 

His  reception. 

His  fairy  godmother's  story. 

Have  the  entire  story  read  and  then  let  each  child  select  a  part 
and  read  it.  What  is  the  lesson  we  should  all  learn  from  this  story? 
Why  do  you  suppose  the  little  boy  was  named  Blunder?  Draw 
a  picture  of  the  Wishing  Gate  upon  the  blackboard. 

Name  all  the  fairy  stories  you  have  read  in  this  book.  Which 
do  you  like  best?    Why? 

Phonic  lesson.  For  the  drill  on  page  218  follow  the  plan  given 
for  the  lesson  on  page  199. 

Page  229.  June  Comes. 

This  stanza  should  be  memorized  and  given  with  expression. 


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